I may be in error about the Ohio and Mississippi line being the only one
available. The Terre Haute, Alton and St. Louis line may have been
available. I have not found much solid information about it except that
it was described as"poorly engineered, indirect, and financially tenuous".
On 4/10/22 11:09, Scott Holmes wrote:
> The problem here is that the St. Louis, Vandalia and Terre Haute
> Railroad was not complete until 1870. The only line east of St.
> Louis, that I know of, was the Ohio and Mississippi, completed in
> 1857. It will take some untangling of railroad history to determine
> what the actual lines were at the time of Sam's travel back to St.
> Louis but I think there were connections between Columbus and
> Cincinnati, probably through Dayton. A northern route does not appear
> to be possible.
>
> On 4/9/22 21:45, Peter Clark wrote:
>> Thanks to Scott for his comments regarding Sam's railroad trip back to
>> Saint Louis from New York in 1854. Yes, Sam almost certainly would have
>> taken the Pennsylvania Railroad to Pittsburgh, however after a bit of
>> follow-up research, I don't believe that he took the Ohio and
>> Mississippi
>> Railroad from Cincinnati on the last leg of the trip. instead, I believe
>> that he took the
>> *Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad*, commonly
>> called
>> the *Pan Handle Route:*
>>
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh,_Cincinnati,_Chicago_and_St._Louis_Railroad
>>
>> )
>> https://www.hookedtobooks.com/funny-mark-twain-quotes/
>> The information in the Wikipedia article appears to be somewhat
>> contradictory. However, it appears clear that Sam's path from Pittsburg
>> went through Columbus. From there, we can't really be sure based on the
>> information it supplies whether he went to Cincinnatti at all on that
>> trip.
>> The map in the Wikipedia article indicates that the more direct route to
>> Indianapolis had been completed. However, the article equivocates about
>> when it was completed. From the standpoint of my story, it doesn't
>> really
>> matter either way, as Sam continued through without stopping...
>> however it
>> would be nice to know!
>> I came across a reference previously that Sam paid $23.50 for
>> the trip.
>> Regarding the relative price between coach and sleeper cars,
>> this is
>> what Wild West Magazine says:
>> Passenger train travel during the 1880s generally cost *two or
>> three
>> cents per mile*. Transcontinental (New York to San Francisco) ticket
>> rates
>> as of June 1870 were $136 for first class in a Pullman sleeping car,
>> $110
>> for second class and $65 for third, or “emigrant,” class seats on a
>> bench.Jun
>> 25, 2018
>>
>> Thanks again for your help!
>> Peter
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