Life, 1904-03-17 · page 22 of 24
Life — March 17, 1904 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **financial advertising** for New York financial institutions (Morton Trust Company, Guaranty Trust Co., Wassermann Brothers), interspersed with literary content. The notable satirical element is the **G&J Tire advertisement** (upper left), which features a driver in an early automobile with the headline "Before You Start—Be sure your tires are G&J." This is straightforward product advertising playing on automobile safety concerns of the era. The **"Love à la Mode" poem** and accompanying illustration appear to satirize modern romance during the germ-theory era—mocking overly cautious, "antiseptic" courtship where fear of infection inhibits romantic expression. The reference to "Dr. Koch" alludes to Robert Koch's germ theory work, suggesting contemporary anxiety about microscopic pathogens was affecting even intimate relationships. The **Ernest Thompson Seton fable about the Porcupine** is a whimsical moral tale unrelated to satire—pure storytelling. Overall, this is a mixed-content page typical of *Life* magazine's format: advertising revenue alongside light satirical verse and fiction.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
G&JTIRECO. al tronic 3 ou are Missin 4 [Athi i sf INDIANAPOLIS, IND. Eastern Distributing Depot.81 Reade St., New York WASSERMANN BROTHERS BANKERS AND BROKERS 27 William St. and 40 Exchange Place NEW YORK New York Stock Exchange Members of + New York Coffee Exchange | Chicago Board of Trade BRANCH OFFICES: of Court (Walilorf-As How corner 46th St, and Sth Ave, hue Hotel tin, Fifth Ave. a Avenue, West Eo Summer MORTON TRUST COMPANY 38 NASSAU STREET, NEW YORK Capital, - - + $2,000,000 Surplus and Undivided Profits, $6,000,000 OFFICERS: LEVI P. MORTON, President THOMAS P. RYAN, Vice-President CHARLES H. ALLEN, Vice-President JAMES K. CORBIERE, Vice-President H. M. PRANCIS, Secretary CHARLES A. ON ANT. Treasurer AHAN, Asst. Treasurer B. BEI K |. Trust Officer Counsel: ELIHU ROOT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE : ‘James N. Jarvie Ryan George’ Foster Peabody Edward J. Berwind Eltha Root i. Maven Jacob H. Schlt Harry Payne Whitney Guaranty Mutual Lite Buth BRANCH o¥¥t Trust Co. of New York ner Ceda Manila, ehlippine Islands; Hong Kong, Fiscal Agents of the United States Government at Manila, Philippine Islands, and Hong Kong, China. Depository of the Government of the Philippine Islands. Capital, $2,000,000 T AL DWED ON DE charge of Real and Personal Esta! TRAVELERS’ LETTERS OF CREDIT AVAILAB 17: BIECT TO CHEQU ustee for Corporations, Firms and Individuais; and as Guarain, Surplus, $5,000,000 MON CERTIFICATE, xecutor and Adminisirator | carefully selected securities ofered for investment ‘ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD, AND COMMERCIAL LETTERS OF CREDIT ISSUED. DIC AES on atl parts of Great Britain, France, R G_OAKMAN, Pre: . HEBBARD. Secretary. George F. Baker. orge S. Bowdoin, rederic Cromwell, Jonn W. Cast Walter R, |. Harriman, 3. Haven, awin Hawley, R. Somers Hayes. 8, Hlette, Charies R, Henderson. many, China and Philippines BOUGEE and SOLD, Ist Vice-President. s KAY, 3d Vice-President C. EDWARDS. Treasurer HARRIMAN, Assistant Treasurer. <, Trust Omtcer. Adnan Iselin, Jr., James N. Jarvie. Augustus D. Jutiltard, Richard A. McCurdy, Levi P. Morton, Waiter G. Oakman, Norman B. Ream, Henry H. Rogers, H. McK. Twombly, Frederick W. Vanderbtit, Harry Payne Wnitney. London Committee: ARTHUR J. FRASER, Chairman; DONALD ©. HALDEMAN, Tetiatest, gate ENIGMA ey deitehtleg, the Love a la Mode. DEIE Nor fear, my darling prize In allopat Your sweet On waistee Come, talk of ant love i ard of Heale me not, maid saccharine, glen, unseen, l head to lean And sofily sighs, our heads above, ‘The disinfected breeze. Why greet, with exclamations gruff, y soul's despairing call? Why gaze, in antiseptic huff, specks upon my cull, wre not germs at all? Why let me not my thoughts express, ¢ confess, ated lips I press What faithless hearts have maidens fair! think ; Beware, noble Tis of my foe ye You know him nc Germs lurk beh My aching heart, ber Far, far, from Dr. Koch! 7, Yharra, y* the woods of Keewaydin there once roamed a very discontented Porcupine. He was forever fretting. He complained that everything was wrong, tillit was perfectly scandalous, and the Great Spirit, getting tired of his grumbling, said “You and the world I have made don't scem to fit. One or the other must be wrong. It is easier to change you. You don’t like the trees. you are unbappy on the ground, and think everything is upside down, so I'll turn you inside out and put you in the water.” This was the origin of the Shad.—Zrnest Thompson Seton, in The Century, comicbooks.com