American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-08-13

CHAPTER v.
In WHICH NEW SECURITY APPEARS ON THE
LONDON EXCHANGE.
Phileas Fogg, in leaving London,
doubtless did not suspect the great ex-
element which his departure was 60
ing to create. The news of the wager
spread first in the Reform Club, and
produced quite stir among the MEM
bers of the honorable circle. Then
from the club it went into the papers
through the medium of the reporters,
and from the papers to the public of
London and the entire United King
dom. The question of 1.-THE tour of the
world" was commented upon. dis
cussed, dissected, with as much passion
and warmth as if it were a new Ala-
bama affair. Some took sides with
Phileas Fogg, others-and they soon
formed a considerable majority-de-
clared against him. To accomplish
this tour of the world, otherwise than
in theory and upon paper in this mimi
mum of time, with the means of COM
munication employed at present, it was
not only impossible, it was visionary.
The Times, the Standard, the EUentng
Star, the Morning Chronicle, and twen-
ty other papers of large circulation. de-
clared against Mr.. Fogg. The Daily
Telegraph alone sustained him to a
certain extent. Phileas Fogg was
generally treated as a maniac. as fool,
and his colleagues were blamed for hav-
ing taken up this wager, which inn
peached the soundness of the mental
faculties of its originator. Extremely
passionate, but very logical, articles
appeared upon the subject. The in
terest felt in England for everything
concerning geography is well known.
So there was not reader. to whatever
class he belonged. who did not devour
the columns devoted to Phileas Fogg.
During the first few days a few bold
spirits, principally ladies. were in favor
of him, especially after the Illustrated
London NeWs had published his picture,
copied from his photograph deposited
in the archives of the Reform Club.
Certain gentlemen dared to say,
''Humph! why not. after all? More
extraordinary things have been seen!''
These were particularly the readers of
the Daily Telegraph. But it was soon
felt that this journal commenced to be
weaker in its support.
In fact, a long article appeared on
the seventh of October in the bulletin
of the Royal Geographical Society. 1t
view, and demonstrated clearly the
folly of the enterprise. According to
this article. every thing was against the
traveller, the obstacles of man. and the
obstacles of nature. To succeed in
this project, it was necessary to admit
a miraculous agreement OF the hours OF
arrival and departure, an agreement
which did not exist. and which could
not exist. The arrival of trains at a
fixed hour could be counted upon strict
ly, and in Europe, where relatively
short distances are in question:; but
when three days are employed to cross
India, and. seven days to cross tho
United States, could the elements of
such problem be established to a nice
ty? The accidents to machinery. rum
ming of trains off the track, collisions,
bad weather, and the accumulation of
SHOWS, were they not all against Phileas
Fog0p Would he not find himself in
winter on the steamers at the mercy OF
the winds or of the fogs? Is it then so
rare that the best steamers of the ocean
lines experience delays of two or three
days? But one delay was sufficient to
break irreparably the chain of cOmmu-
nication. If Phileas Fogg missed only
by IA few hours the departure of a steam
er, he would be compelled to wait for
the next steamer, and in this way his
journey would be irrevocably compro-
missed. The article made a great sensa-
ton Nearly all the papers copied it,
and the stock in Phileas Fogg went
down in marked degree.
fro BE CONTINUED