Life, 1903-01-01 · page 13 of 20
Life — January 1, 1903 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top Cartoon:** Mocks sensational book marketing. A circus wagon advertises "Gold or Gore," a supposedly bestselling novel, with exaggerated promotional claims (300,000 copies sold before publication). The satire critiques publishers' over-the-top advertising tactics and readers' appetite for melodramatic fiction—questioning whether such hype-driven promotion is appropriate or honest. **"Christianity" Section:** Commentary on missionary work in the Philippines. The text sardonically suggests that "bullets" (military force) communicate Christianity more effectively to Filipinos than preaching does—dark social satire about American imperialism and the inconsistency between Christian values and violent colonial expansion. **Other Humor Sections:** Include light jokes about baseball, marriage ceremonies, and social propriety (the final cartoon suggests a rustic character won't judge a dress without checking propriety "under the table"—likely a crude reference to women's undergarments). The page represents early 20th-century American satirical humor mixing social commentary with genteel comedy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
GOLD FORE THe GREATEST HISTORICAL C4 wr i 300.000 copies SOLD BEFORE i. PUBLICATION WRITING THIS GREAT NOVEL FOR US. BUY IT, RFAD IT. IT IS THE CREATEST 8 WHY NOTADVERTISE THE SENSATIONAL NOVEL IN A SENSATIONAL WAY? Christianity. LIMSON : Well, Willie, what have “+ WM AMMA, what kind of flowers OME: Kava" cals: mse:the: Bible bau outer you to say to this fine turkey? -\1 do they have in heaven?” have gone to the islands before the bullet, Wie: I was thinking that he “Oh, morning-glories and forget- but I feel that the ballet was necessary —fer. laughs best who gobbles last. me-nots,”” C. W. Briggs, Baptist’ missionary in the Phili —s pine, " a ” Baseball Note. The Bible proposes Christianity in yt is said that Jerome is a good N° matter how smoothly the mar- the abstract, as we may say. The ~~ catcher, but we do not think he riage ceremony may proceed, Can-field. there's bound to be a hitch in it. bullet, on the other hand, is concrete. The concrete always appeals more powerfully to simple minds, psycholo- gists assure us, and it is quite con- ceivable that the Filipinos are given a truer insight into our religion by being shot at than by being preached to. | Suited Them Better. usst YOUTH: That was a great tragedy, wasn’t you take your parents it? to see Seconp YoutH: Oh, no! They are too old for that sort of thing. They went toa farce comedy. hale ins M AN is the only animal that works the other animals for a living. is Mrs. Portly Jowl: RoW, UNCLE HAYRICK, DON'T YOU THINK MAUDE'S NEW GOWN 18 4 TRIUMPH IN DRESSMAKINO ? Uncte Hayrick ; BRTORE GIVING AN OPINION I SHALL BE OBLIGED TO LOOK UNDER THE TABLE. comicbooks.com