Scope and ContentThe Story of Phoebe Snow and Reprints of Original Phoebe Snow Jingles. Lackawanna Railroad, [New York], no date, probably July 1943. Booklet with color cover, 3-5/8" wide x 6-3/4" high, unpaginated [24 pp.] This publication about the fictional advertising character was issued six years before the actual train bearing that name first ran (Nov. 15, 1949). The jingles are from advertising campaigns used over the decades. See notes. Main text and a few typical jingles (from pp [8-9]) are below: THE NAME OF PHOEBE SNOW The name "Phoebe Snow" and "The Road of Anthracite" are synonymous because in the early days coal was closely identified with the origin of the Lackawanna Railroad and anthracite was burned exclusively in all of its passenger locomotives. So general was the appreciation by the traveling public of the importance of this feature that Phoebe Snow, the Lackawanna's imper- sonation of this idea, became in the public's mind the synonym of cleanliness in travel. In keeping with modern progress, ditioned and suburban trains electrified. The cleanliness resulting from the burn- ing of anthracite is today enjoyed through air-conditioned equipment and electrified trains. The Lackawanna, the route of Phoebe Snow, is still one of America's great anthracite carrying railroads. IS THERE SUCH A PERSON AS PHOEBE SNOW? "Is there such a person as Phoebe Snow?" is a question that is asked almost daily, and in view of the wonderful popularity of this famous lady this curiosity as to her identity is only natural. While the advertising character of Phoebe Snow, as shown in the car cards and newspapers some forty years ago, was the creation of an artist's fancy, to the traveling public she has become almost a living personage. Phoebe Snow, through her jingles bearing tribute to the burning of anthra- cite in all of the Lackawanna's passen- ger locomotives, had become in the public's mind the synonym of cleanliness in travel. The idea of a series of advertising jingles exploiting the adventures of a girl dressed in white typifying such cleanliness, was originated by the Advertising Department of the Lacka- wanna Railroad, about 1900, and was continued up to World War No. 1, when the railroads of the country were placed under Federal control, and bituminous coal was substituted for hard coal, or anthracite in Lackawanna passenger locomotives. At the start of the Phoebe Snow campaign of advertising, the verses were parodies on the familiar nursery jingles, "Here is the maiden all forlorn Who milked the cow with crum- pled horn." The first one of the series being as follows: "Here is the maiden all in lawn Who boarded the train one early morn That runs on Road of Anthracite And when she left the train that night She found to her surprised delight Hard coal had kept her dress still bright." Owing to the limited number of char- acters in this nursery epic, this meter was abandoned and a new form of verse adopted. For the sake of euphony and because of its obvious rhyming possibili- ties, the "maiden" was given the name of Phoebe Snow. Years of publicity have resulted in giving "Phoebe" a foremost place among the characters in America's advertising hall of fame. Phoebe still lives in the minds of Lackawanna travelers and shippers, and recently the Lackawanna revived the name "Phoebe Snow" by painting on the side of box cars the inscription "Lackawanna - The Route of Phoebe Snow." PHOEBE SNOW JINGLES Says Phoebe Snow About to go, Upon a trip To Buffalo "My gown stays white From morn till night Upon the Road of Anthracite." The man in blue Now helps her through, And tells her when Her train is due. "He's so polite. They do things right Upon the Road of Anthracite." Miss Phoebe Snow Has stopped to show Her ticket at The gate, you know, The guard, polite, Declares it right. Of course- It's Road of Anthracite. Now Phoebe Snow Direct can go From Thirty-third To Buffalo. From Broadway bright The "Tubes" run right Into the Road of Anthracite. Each cut and fill 'Cross dale and hill Has made "The Shortest" Shorter still. Like arrow's flight I now delight To speed o'er Road of Anthracite. With dimpling face All full of grace Fair Phoebe pictures In a daze That journey bright When clad in white She used the Road of Anthracite.