Life, 1903-08-06 · page 20 of 32
Life — August 6, 1903 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains multiple satirical pieces targeting early 1900s social issues: **"Apparently Not"** mocks the telephone industry's failure to eliminate annoying features—operators, wrong numbers, delays—despite technological advancement. **"Moments of History"** is a dream sequence where Shakespeare violently ejects financial speculators from his theater, then wakes up. The satire criticizes commercialism in theater: the accompanying quote suggests stage productions are driven by "passion to make money, with very little artistic conscience." The irony is that Shakespeare's dream-action is impossible in modern times. **"And Now He is Back in the Ranks"** depicts an automobilist hitting a pedestrian near a "No Trespassing" sign on an estate—satirizing how wealthy drivers evade consequences through property rights. **"Kettle, Etc."** and the Sherlock Holmes fragment are brief joke items about hypocrisy and deduction. The page overall critiques commercialism, corruption, and inequality in Edwardian America.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Apparently Not. E'VE wireless wires and scabs, But will we ever own A cussless, waitless, out-of-order- P| less, Girlless telephone? Moments of History. HAKESPEARE was just about to tell the stage manager to announce the first act of “As You Like It,’ when a terrible commo- tion in front made him suspect that all was not right. Hastening out, he discovered a group of speculators about to begin business, and hastily calling the queen’s guards, in eight minutes by the clock he had them all thrown into the Thames. “‘Our stage business,’ remarked William senten- tiously, “may not be up to date, but at least this horror of future generations is not for us."" 2:50 A. M.—THEN ME WOKE UP. NOTICE AuTomoanist witt o AND NOW NE IS BACK IN TILE RANKS, Kettle, Etc. [7 ithe stagense rated bs the passion to make money, with a very little admix. ture of arusiic conscience.—A Newspaper. Afterall, there are times when nobody seems able to hit off the kettle’s blackness more aptly and convincingly than the pot. SHERLOCK: HOLMES: RIGGS: I hear that Jones is completely knocked out by “How Do YOU DEDUCE, MR. HOLMES, THAT THE STRANGEL ACKOss overwork. WAY EATS WITH 18 KNIFE . ates fpaicue: Business or pleasure ? comicbooks.com