The initial route from Chicago to Twin Cities via CB&Q, C&I and CB&N was
286* miles from Savanna (where you 1st see the Mississippi) to St. Paul. The
"300 miles" traveling along the Mississippi was noted in CB&N publications
but NOT as the familiar "Where nature smiles..." slogan. My oldest CB&Q
Mississippi River brochure (1906) notes there are 286* miles along the river
and puts "Mississippi River Scenic Line" in quotes but no mention of "Where
nature smiles...". However the same brochure, updated in 1912, no longer
says 286 miles but does say that for 20 years the route has been widely
known as the "Missi- ssippi River Scenic Line, where nature smiles 300
miles". Thus the marketing people put the enduring slogan into effect
between "06 & 12. A primary reason, no doubt, was that the 2 chief
competitors for the Chi-Twin City business were the C&NW & Milwaukee who had
built thru 1st BUT went cross-country thru Wisconsin rather than directly to
the Mississippi via northern Illinois as the Q had. On balance, sightseers
were/are more enamored with the river than with dairy cows. This fact plus
the Q's superior roadbed, domed Zephyrs, GN/NP participation & better mgt.
combined to make it the more popular route despite bypass- ing populous
Milwaukee. Unfortunately Amtrak bowed to political pressure & chose the
Milwaukee Road for its Twin City route.
(*282 after the LaCrosse bypass was built) Gerald Edgar
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