Around the World in Eighty Days
Literature
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Five main lines connect Omaha with New York. New York and San Francisco are thus united by an uninterrupted metal ribbon, which measures no less than three thousand seven hundred and eighty-six miles.
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The journey from New York to San Francisco consumed, formerly, under the most favourable conditions, at least six months.
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It is now accomplished in seven days.
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It was in 1862 that, in spite of the Southern Members of Congress, who wished a more southerly route, it was decided to lay the road between the forty-first and forty-second parallels.
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President Lincoln himself fixed the end of the line at Omaha, in Nebraska.
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The work was at once commenced, and pursued with true American energy; nor did the rapidity with which it went on injuriously affect its good execution.
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The road grew, on the prairies, a mile and a half a day.
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A locomotive, racing on the rails laid down the evening before, brought the rails to be laid on the morrow, and advanced upon them as fast as they were put in position.
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The Pacific Railroad is joined by several branches in Iowa, Kansas, Colorado, and Oregon.
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On leaving Omaha, it passes along the left bank of the Platte River as far as the junction of its northern branch, follows its southern branch, crosses the Laramie territory and the Wahsatch Mountains, turns the Great Salt Lake, and reaches Salt Lake City, the Mormon capital, plunges into the Tuilla Valley, across the American Desert, Cedar and Humboldt Mountains, the Sierra Nevada, and descends, via Sacramento, to the Pacific.
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The car which he occupied was a sort of long omnibus on eight wheels, and with no compartments in the interior.
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It was supplied with two rows of seats, perpendicular to the direction of the train on either side of an aisle which conducted to the front and rear platforms.
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These platforms were found throughout the train, and the passengers were able to pass from one end of the train to the other.
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It was supplied with saloon cars, balcony cars, restaurants, and smoking-cars; theatre cars alone were wanting, and they will have these some day.
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Book and news dealers, sellers of edibles, drinkables, and cigars, who seemed to have plenty of customers, were continually circulating in the aisles.
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The train left Oakland station at six o'clock.
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It was already night, cold and cheerless, the heavens being overcast with clouds which seemed to threaten snow.
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Passepartout had for an instant feared that he was on the wrong boat; but, though he was really on the Carnatic, his master was not there.
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He fell thunderstruck on a seat.
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He saw it all now.
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It was his fault, then, that Mr. Fogg and Aouda had missed the steamer.
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A locomotive, moving on the rails laid down the evening before, brought the rails to be laid on the morrow, and advanced upon them as fast as they were put in position.
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"Good!" thought he. "I will imagine I am at the Carnival!" His first care, after being thus "Japanesed," was to enter a tea-house of modest appearance, and, upon half a bird and a little rice, to breakfast like a man for whom dinner was as yet a problem to be solved.
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"Now," thought he, when he had eaten heartily, "I mustn't lose my head. I can't sell this costume again for one still more Japanese.
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I must consider how to leave this country of the Sun, of which I shall not retain the most delightful of memories, as quickly as possible."
