Life, 1902-06-12 · page 15 of 20
Life — June 12, 1902 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces mocking business and social figures of the era. **Top section**: A biographical parody of "Mr. Morgan" (likely J.P. Morgan, the famous banker/industrialist). The text humorously lists his "occupations" as buying chromos (cheap prints), playing bridge, and "bidding on countries"—mocking wealthy industrialists' power and acquisitive behavior. His "principal works" are fake book titles satirizing corporate monopolies and financial schemes ("The Steal Trust," "Gold Bricks Without Straw"). **Middle cartoon ("Head of Firm")**: A boss asks a new office boy what skills he has beyond whistling and loafing. The boy replies he can play craps (gambling)—satirizing workplace incompetence and idleness. **Bottom cartoon ("Too Late")**: An old man tries teaching his daughter romance, but his dentures have fallen out and he speaks Arabic. The caption blames his age, not his speech impediment—dark humor about aging and irrelevance. The overall tone mocks corporate excess, worker laziness, and social pretension typical of early 1900s American satirical journalism.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
515 nights waiting for Santa Claus, his mission has been accomplished. Mr. Morgan’s favorite occupations are buying chromos, working his pas- sage across the ocean at bridge, bidding on countries, walking the ties and talking with T. Lawson. Principal Works—‘ The Bondsman,” “ Gold Bricks Without Straw,” ‘The Steal Trust,” “The Water Cure,” “Combinations I Have Smiled With,” ‘In Many Mergers,”’ etc. AED OF FIRM (to new office boy): Can you do anything else but whistle and loaf? “Yes, sir. I can play craps. _ MROGRESS. Another day —another way. A NATURAL SEQUENCE. NAY, DO NOT BLAME TUE AGED MAN, TOO! LATE. BECAUSE IS SPEECH 18 THICK; “PU reac You To MAKE Love TO MY DavowreRITIII" un's Lost MIs TEETH, AXD 60, TOU SEE, “war's Tux van? eu uae ALREADY TAVOUT Mx." WE TALKS OC ARARIC. comicbooks.com