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Page  preface

     "BELIEVING a correct, comprehensive, and reliable guide of the Great Trans-Continental Railroad was needed, we were certain our ten years' experience in traversing the States and Territories west of the Missouri river had afforded us advantages possessed by few others. We have, therefore, resolved to make it a SPECIALTY, depending wholly upon personal observation and knowledge of the country along the whole line and tributary to the Union and Central Pacific Railroads, their branches and connections from the Missouri river to the Pacific Coast. We offer no rehash of unreliable newspaper and hearsay accounts; neither shall we present a mass of old stereotyped time-tables, but we do propose to take you step by step, station by station, over the whole line—give full and authentic facts and figures, condensed to the smallest possible space—a literal 'multum in parvo.' We have avoided generalizing, but point to facts. The first edition of the GUIDE was published Sept. 1st, 1869; its reception by the public was very encouraging and stimulated us to still greater efforts. Photographers and Engravers were soon put to work, and we are now (May 1st, 1870) pleased to offer our first annual 'revised and illustrated edition.' In it will be found twenty-four whole-page illustrations and many smaller ones—thirty-six in all—a very fine map of the whole road—time-tables showing every station, with its altitude and distance each way to the end of the road, memoranda &c., &c. The GUIDE will be thoroughly revised in May, and temporarily in September, annually, hereafter."

     AGAIN we say, "How!" and present our third volume, second annual revise. The success of the GUIDE within the last year has been all that we could expect. Great pains has been taken in revising, rewriting and illustrating the present volume. In addition to more pages of reading matter, there are nine new illustrations, 45 in all, with a map of the new route to Yo Semite Valley and the Big Trees, a new map of the Pacific Railroad, together with the first and only COMPLETE MAP OF THE WORLD, showing the Continental route "AROUND THE WORLD," including many connecting lines. Now, right here, we wish to remark, we were the first to publish a guide-book of the Pacific Railroad (1869), the first to stake our dollars and time on the venture, since which our imitators have been numerous. The one from St. Louis—a petty, swindling, advertising dodge—is beneath notice; but that a respectable firm could be found in San Fransisco who would not only copy all our little mistakes, plagiarize a great portion of our GUIDE, and then steal its good name, is more than we can understand. Our first volume was known as the "GREAT TRANS-CONTINENTAL RAILROAD GUIDE" (the name secured to us July 22d, 1869); as such, we expended many thousands of dollars advertising it, some of which was in our imitators' paper, and went into their own pocket, which looks like a double robbery. We now issue the GUIDE as "Crofutt's Trans-Continental Tourist's Guide." Let us see if they won't go for "Crofutt" next. They will now correct their guides, as we furnish them much original data, and note many late and important changes.

     The usual practice with guide-book publishers is to make a little go a great way; lead the text, use large type, containing many glittering generalities and few facts. Our ambition from the first has been quite the reverse—facts, names, dates, distances, condensed telegrams, in the smallest possible space, and for the least money, and finally, the best and most complete illustrated guide-book ever published. Have we done it? Judge ye.

     Price, cloth $1.00; paper, 75 cents. Mailed to any address in the world on receipt of the price, and postpaid to any part of the United States.