Life, 1904-06-30 · page 20 of 23
Life — June 30, 1904 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This poem, credited to the *Milwaukee Sentinel*, is a humorous piece using heavy Scandinavian-immigrant dialect to satirize working-class optimism and work ethic. The character "Yohn" (John) is a Norwegian section foreman on the Soo (Sault Ste. Marie railroad line) who preaches that hard work makes any job bearable—the key is doing it "purty qvick" (pretty quick). The satire targets both immigrant workers and American attitudes toward labor: Yohn's philosophy that "vork ban vat yu mak it" (work is what you make it) suggests that positive attitude alone overcomes exploitation. The exaggerated dialect—"yumping," "skol," "vork"—makes the character comic while also reflecting contemporary stereotyping of Scandinavian immigrants. The moral lesson about heavenly reward ("St. Peter") for diligent workers adds gentle social commentary: the poem implies working-class immigrants internalize capitalist values, finding spiritual meaning in labor rather than questioning conditions. This reflects early 1900s *Life* magazine's mix of gentle ethnic humor and middlebrow sentiment.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“LTE E The Norsk Nightingale. L me not, yu knocking fallers, Life ban only empty dream ; Dar ban planty fun, ay tal yu, Ef yu try Yohn Yohnson’s scheme. Yobn ban yust a section foreman Vorking hard vay up on Soo; He ban yest so glad in morning As veo alll his vork ban tru, “ Vork,” say Yohn, “ban vat yu mak it— Ef yu tenk yure vork ban hard Yu skol having planty headac! Yes, yu bet yure life, old pard; But ay alvays yerk my coat off, Grab my shovel and my pick, And dis yob ant seem lak hard von Ef ay du it purty qvick.” Yohn ban foreman over fallers, He ant have to vork, yu see, But yu bet he ant no loafer, And he yust digs in, by yee! * Listen, Olaf,” he skol tal me, “ Making living ant no trick, And the hardest yob b: Ef yu only du it qvick !” BRINGS GOOD FORTUNE TO ITS USERS —— “HOME. OFFICE AND FACTORY SYRACUSE, N.Y "EXHIBIT AT WORLDS FAIR, ST. LOUIS, SEC. 23. PALACE LIBERAL ARTS. easy Let us den be op and yumping, Always glad to plow tru drift; Ven our vork ban done, den let us Give some oder faller lift. Den ay bet yu old St, Peter He skol tenk ve're purty slick ; Ve can go tru Gates, aye bet yu, Ef ve only du it qvick ! — Milieaukee Sentinel, | | — | ALADDIN & CO. A ROMANCE OF YANKEE MAGIC By HERBERT QUICK Tu Cat Journal (Palmyra, N.Y.) has a re for stray Here is a letter received from one of those who have been! benefited you for the kind care that you gave me while I was with you, Now Tam in my new home, I intended letting you hear from me oft ry chance here to enjoy life. I ple amount of outdoor freedom and plenty of good thi toe I have found a hole i , that T| have discovered is the home of a mouse, and I pass away many hours watching for the occu- pant to apy It is a long wait, as my wants d_ I do not feel it neces- i I can spend all leisure. I am stop for this time, but will w: Miss Muffet. I have e nhave ar are “A story of business and love, flavor An wav the reader is wise he will hasten hie full of the Ameri again some time, | hes AN E. MACK, of Buffalo, was ask the other day, to define the word bonar Mack hag had some experience in mining and replicd: ‘A bonanza is a hole in the ground owned by a d—d liar.” Argonaut. kil and ic possibil- “An unhackneyed subject, developed with Mr. Quick is a wizard at de. . . For Ibe hard wild ride through flood and storm of the spec -Timecs' Satu eer excitement and breath atch in any very recent I HENRY 2g West HOLT & CO. 23d Street iy ve Unite Great English Remedy BLAIR’S PILLS New York Sate. Sores E fective. OC tS, STS, cr 224 ¥. y. Caller’ Genuine ‘Swiss Milk Chocolate is made in a model factor; Valley, the 1 ee ious. You w have ever us: SOUTHERN WOMEN In New York Buy The SOUTHERN CORN MEAL known as “Dunlop Whi slowly ground on stones, soft as flour, thern yellow meal is har ec, Samp of Cracklin o (registered) we will deliver to any add cte., a 301b. bag of *Dunle s. From millstones to your k: 48 hours. THE DUNLOP MILLS G, Richmond, Va. OUCHR 1p (FoF RzGerA 161 BROADWAY. 688 BROADWAY. ~ 723 SIXTH PENT i 7 take the strain off the brain—weigh 202. Any store soc and $1.00 or postpaid for choicest patterns. THE ©. A. EDGARTON MFG, CO., Box 823, ‘Shirley, Mass.