Life, 1904-05-19 · page 17 of 28
Life — May 19, 1904 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two separate satirical pieces from *Life* magazine: **"Bank President" comic**: A bank president reads a job application from someone seeking a teller position. The applicant's letter mentions attending Sunday school until age eighteen and serving five years in the Salvation Army—credentials suggesting moral character and trustworthiness. The absurd humor: the president responds by locking all safes and calling detectives, treating these *virtuous* qualifications as deeply suspicious. The satire mocks cynical business culture that distrusts morality, suggesting banks assume anyone too good-hearted must be hiding something criminal. **"Ahoy!" and "Every Man" aphorisms**: Brief witty observations—one about the Japanese Navy causing Russians to feel a "sinking feeling" (a pun), another about how people architect their own fortunes, explaining why estimates get exceeded. These appear to be standalone humor/wisdom snippets typical of *Life's* format. The photograph caption shows a domestic scene, likely illustrating another comedic vignette about property and marriage.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
whose introduction few roman- cers could have resisted. J. B. Kerfoot. Cardinal Newman, By William Barry. Charles Scribner's Sons. $1.00. The Issue. By George Morgan incott Company, By Albert . Taylor and The Memoirs of a Baby. By Josephine Daskam, Harper ‘and Brothers. $1.50. The Vineyard. By John Oliver Hobbes. D. Appleton and Company $1.50. In the Bishop's Carriage. By Miriam Michelson. The Bobbs- Merrill Company, Indianapolis $1.50, The Key of Paradise, By Sidney Picke The Macmillan Com- pany. $150. BAs* PRESIDENT (rapidly reading a fetter): Is the man who wants a job as paying teller, and who just sent in this letter, outside? Doorkeerer: Yes, sir. “Well, lock up all the safes and send for a special force of detectives to watch the building.” “Ts he such a suspicious character, sir?" “TI should say so. Why, this letter says that he went to Sunday-school until he was cighteen, served five * DID YOU GIVE PAPA AN ITEMIZED ACCOUNT OF YOUR PROPERTY as HE ASKED “YES 1 SENT HIM YOUR PHOTOGRAPH.” ; Ahoy! “ EOVERY man is the architect of his own — BW WIEN the Jap Navy heaves in sight, fortunes."" the Russians experience that s/nding cs. That's why the cost so often ex wenee feelin ceeds the estimate comicbooks.com