Re: Sam’s 1854 return from New York- Replying to Scott, albeit in slow motion, as I have been swamped: On your Twain Geography site you report with excellent detail how Sam traveled to NYC mostly by rail, with a few exceptions---- “an awful trip, taking five days, where it should have been only three.” It took five days primarily because of three segments by water: St. Louis to Alton; from Monroe, across Lake Erie to Buffalo “in the fine Lake palace, “Southern Michigan,””, and then “by Hudson river steamboat, another day—" as you further document from the Mark Twain scholars that you report. On the return trip, Sam would have been able to cut most of three days off of that travel time by taking the Penn Central to Pittsburgh, crossing the river, and then continuing by rail on to Cleveland, all of which could be accomplished in less than a day. The remainder of Sam’s return trip could then be accomplished easily in the two following days that he reports merely by taking the same route that you took on the way out. Thus, while I have strongly questioned some of Sam’s other reporting, his reporting here rings true to me. And, yes, there was a good reason for him to get back to St. Louis before heading to Muscatine, as I hope to be able to report well before the end of the year. Thanks for your help in working this out! Peter