The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-09-28
TOUR OF THE WORLD
EIGHTY DAYS.
JULES VERNES GREAT STORY.
CHAPTER I.

IN WHICH PHlbEAS FOGG AND PASsEPARTOUT
ACCEPT EACH OTHER-THE ONE AS MASTER,
THE OTHER AS SERVANT.
In the year 1872, the house No.
Saville Row, Darlington Gardens the
house in which Sheridan died. in 1914
was inhabited by Phileas Fogg, Esq,
one of the most singular and most no.
ticed members of the Reform Club of
London, although he seemed to take
care to do nothing which might attract
attention.
This Phileas Fogg, then, an enigmat-
ic parsonage, of whom nothing was
known but that he was very polite
man, and one OF the most perfect gem
tlemen of good English society, sue
ceeded one of the greatest orators that
honor England.
An Englishman Phileas Fogg was
surely, but perhaps not a Londoner.
He was never seen en- Change, at the
bank, or in any of the counting-rooms
of the City" The docks of London
had never received vessel fitted out
by Phileas Fog. This gentleman did
not figure in any public body. HIS
| name had never sounded in any Inns
of Court, nor in the Temple, nor in
Liucoln's Inn, nor in Gray's Inn. He
never pleaded in the CGart of Chan
Gerry, nor the Queens Bench. nor the
Exchequer, nor the Ecclesiastical
! Courts He WAS neither manufact-
urer, nor trader nor n merchant, nor
a gentleman farmer. lie was not. "a
member OF the Royal Institution of
Great Britain, or the London Ihstitu-
tiO1f, or the Artisans Association. or
| the Russell Institution, or the Literary
| Institution of tbs West. or The Law In
stitute, or that Institute of the Arts and
Sciences placed under the direct pat
ronage of her gracious Majesty. In
| fact, he belonged to none of the numer-
Gus societies that swarm in the capital
| of England, from the Harmonic to the
chronological Society, founded princi-
pally for the purpose of destroying
hurtful insects.
PhileaS Fogg was member of the
Reform Club, and that was all.
Should any one be astonished that
such mysterious gentleman should be
| among the members of this honorable
institution, we will reply that. he OBJ
| tanned admission on the recommends
| ton of Barring Brothers. with whom he
had IN open credit. Thence certain
appearance due to his checks being
regularly paid at sight by the debt OF
his account current, which was always
to his credit.
Was this Phileas Fogg rich? I'm
doubtedly. But the best informed
could not say how he had made his
money, and MIR. Fogg was the last per-
son to whom it would have been proper
to 90 for information. He was by no
means extraYagant in anything, neither
was he avaricious, for when money was
needed for noble, useful. or benevo-
lent purpose, he gave it quietly, and
4 ny-n,, ,S--s,onelu In short No one
was less communicative than this gen
tleman. He talked as little rs possible,
and seemed much more mysterious than
silent. But his lae was open to the
light, but what he did was always so
automatically the same thing, that the
imagination. unsatis6ed, sought further.
Had he travelled? 1t was probable,
for none knew the world better than he
there was no spot so secluded that he
did not appear to have q special ac-
! quaintance with it. Sometimes, in a
few brief. clear words, he would cor
rect the thousand suppositions circulate
ing in the club with reference to travel
ers lost or strayed; he pointed out the
| true probabilities, and so often did
events justify his predictions, that he
seemed as if gifted with a sort of sec
'ond sight. He was a man who must
have travelled everywhere, in spirit at
least.
One thing was certain. that for many
years Phileas Fogg had not been from
London. Those who had the honor OF
knowing him more intimately than 9th
ers affirmed that no one could pretend
to have seen him elsewhere than upon
this direct route, which he trayersed
every day to 90 from his house to the
club. His only pastime was reading the
papers and playing whist. He fire.
quently won at this quiet game, so very
appropriate to his nature; but his win
nings never went into his purse, and
made an important item in his charity
fund. Besides, it must be remara ed
that Mr.. Fogg evidently played Tor the
sake of playing, not to win. The game
was for him contest, a struggle against
difficulty; but o motionless, unwearv.
ing struggle, and that suited his char,
acter.
Phileas Fogg was not known to have
either wife or children--which may
happen to the most respectable people
neither relatives nor friends-which
is more rare, truly. Phileas FOgg lived
alone in his house in Seville Row,
where nobody entered. There was
never question as to its interior. A
single servant suiiiced to serve him.
Breakfasting and dining at the club al
hours fixed with the utmost exactness,
in the same hall, at the same table, not
entertaining his colleagues nor inviting
stranger, he returned home only to 90
to bed exactly at midnight, without
ever making use of the comfortable
chambers which the Reform Club puts
at the disposal of its favored members.
Of the twenty-four hours he passed ten
at his residence, either sleeping OF
busying himself at his toilet. If he
walked, it was invariably with regu-
lar step in the entrance hall with its
mosaic floor, or in the circular gallery,
above which rose dome with blue paint
ed windows, supported by twenty Ionic
columns of red porphyry. If he dined
or breakfasted, The Kitchens. the but
terry, the pantry, the dairy of the club
furnished his table their succulent
stores; the walters of the club, grave
personages in dress-coats and shoes
with swan-skin soles, served him in q
special porcelain and ON fine Saxon
linen; the club decanters of lost mold
contained his sherry, his port and his
claret, favored with orange-fower wa
ter and cinnamon; and finally the ice
of the club, brought at great expense
from the American lakes, kept his
drinks in a satisfactory condition OF
freshness.
I If to live in such conditions is to be
eccentric, it must be granted that &C.
centricity has something good in it!
The mansion on Saville Row, with
i out being sumptuous, recommended it.
self by its extreme comfort. Besides,