The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-09-29
CHAPTER V
IN WHICH A NEW SECBRITY APPEARS ON TIT
EXCHANGE

IN WHICH A NEW sECBRIrY APPEARS ON THE
LONDON EXCHANGE.
Phileas Fogg, in leaving Eondon,
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 p 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 ''the tour of the
world was commented upon, dis
cussed, dissected. with as much passion
and warmth as if it were n new Ala
bama affair. Some took sides with
rhiIvHs roTg, others and they soon
formed a considerable majority-de-
clared against him. To accomplish
this tour of the world, otherwise than
i'll theory and upon paper in this mini
mum of time, with the means of COM
munication employ ed at present, it was
not only impossible, it was visionary.
The Times, the Standard. the EUeni'sg
Star, the Bi0r71i7sg Chronicle, and TWEEN
ty other papers of large circulation, de-
clared against Mr.. Fogg. The Daily
Telegraph alone sustained him to a
certain extent. Philess Fogg was
generally treated rs maniac, as fool,
and his colleagues were blamed for hay
ing taken up this wager, which i'm
pesched the souGdness OF the mental
faculties of its originator. Extremely
passionate, but very logical, articles
appeared upon the subject. The in
terest felt in England Tor everything
concerning geography is well known.
So there was not reader, to whatever
class he belonged. who did not devour
the columnssdevoted to Phileas Fooe.
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 seem"
These were particularly the readers of
the Baily Telegraph. But it was soon
felt that this journal commenced TO be
hOdh6I III IT'S support
in fact, q long article appeared on
the seventh of October in the Butietjn
of the ROYAL Geographical Society. 1t
treated the question from all points of
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
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
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 the
United States, could the elements of
such problem be established to nice
typ The accidents to machinery. run
ming OF trains off the track, collisions,
bad weather, and the accumulation of
SHOWS. were they not all against Phileas
toggP 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 few hours the departure of a steam
err he would be compelled to wait for
the next steamer, and in this way his
journey would be irrevocablg compro-
missed. The article made a great sensa-
ton. Nearly all the papers copied it,
and the stock in Phileas Fogg went
dowr IN marked degree.
fro BE CONTINUED
"A small colored boy visited the cir
cas in Baltimore, and during the even
ing ate three quarts of peanuts unassist-
ed. Afterward he slept calmly and
peacefully, he says, and he is now ready
for the next circus
he age of the circus joke has at
last been statistically determined. The
iiist circus started out in 1897
One of the effects of the intoxicat-
ing fungus. used by the Tartars is an er-
roneous perception of space. A person
under its influence will take Jump suf-
ficient to clear the trunk OF tree when
be only wishes to step over straw.