There are two principal settings in Across America on an Emigrant Train: one on a ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean and the other in the railroad cars in which Stevenson travels. On board the ship, he is somewhat separated from the poorest travelers by having a small cabin; he can hear the people in steerage, and he mingles with them on deck during the day, but he can retreat to his cabin if he wishes. Murphy provides a good description of what shipboard life was like for the poor, while quoting Stevenson's impressions of the people he met.

Stevenson found his compatriots to be intelligent, knowledgeable people; those with musical talent were much appreciated for the entertainment they provided. He contrasts the steerage passengers with the superior behavior of the wealthier passengers, who had no cause, as far as he was concerned, to act superior—"We were...