Life, 1904-12-01 · page 21 of 64
Life — December 1, 1904 — page 21: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This early 20th-century satirical story mocks the era's fears about monopolistic power and governmental helplessness. The narrative describes all New York women mysteriously vanishing, orchestrated by "Morgfeller"—a transparent caricature of J.P. Morgan, the actual era's most powerful financier. The satire's point: Morgfeller controls railroads, banks, currency circulation, and secretly manipulates legislatures and Washington itself. When citizens appeal to the President for help, he responds that he's powerless—a scathing critique of corporate dominance over elected government. The two illustrations show a well-dressed figure "Before" and "After" the crisis, emphasizing how completely one man's financial power has disrupted society. This reflects genuine Progressive Era anxieties about unchecked monopolies and their political influence—concerns that would eventually fuel antitrust legislation.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Suddenly they. heard a boy calling “Extra!” With. feverish eagerness they bought the paper and read as fol- lows: NO WOMEN LEFT! NEW YORK SUDDENLY DF- SERTED BY ITS FEMALE POP- ULATION. SECRET TRUST AT WORK. A DESPER- ATE SITUATION. Early this morning this great city suddenly rose to the con- sciousness that all of its women have mysteriously disappeared. Inquiry at the hotels, many pri- vate houses, transportation offices and other centres developed the fact that during the night every woman in New York was trans- ported out of town by a mys- terious agency—the head of which is suspected, but not yet known. At the railroad stations in Jer- sey City and Weehawken, and at the Grand Central, where report- ers have been stationed since the alarm went out, it was ascer- tained that no woman of any de- allowed to enter ncoming trains being caret! earched. The railroad officials are It is evident that they are in the power of an individual who at the present moment is holding this city in a fierce thraldom. There will be a citizens’ meeting at noon in Mad- ison Square. At the perusal of this intelligence the two men looked at each other in consternation. “I guess there cannot be any doubt,” “who is responsible for this horrible state of affairs. It said MecFerson, must be Morgfeller. Everybody knows that he has been the most powerful force in this repub- lic for a long time, but no one would dream that he has dared to do so much, and apparently he has hit upon the Christmas shopping season—just when the women are the most important fac- tors—to strike his deadly blow.” Morgfeller was the recognized head of the financial world. It was openly known that he controlled all the rail- roads, which had recently, under his silent manipulation, been combined into one vast system. It was also known that the banks had yielded to his power and that the entire circula- tion of the country was at his mercy. Rumors had been floating around that he had also got control of the legisla- tures, and was the secret power behind the throne at Washington. “Before.” “After.” 533 “The man must be mad,” cried Spin- nerton, “Why, his life won't be safe a moment. If I can get my hands on him, I'll tear him limb from limb.” He staggered back in the excess of his emotion. McFerson, who was a bachelor, sup- ported him. “Cheer up, old ma: he cried. “This can’t last. It is only some joke. Let us go to the citizens’ meeting.” The two men hurried to Madison Square. A vast concourse of citizens had already assembled. On a temporary stand, erected just east of the fountain, a man was ad- dressing the multitude. McFerson and Spinnerton recognized him at once as a former Mayor, one whose utterances had always been tinged with Socialism, and yet a man who had invariably commanded the re- spect of the community, “Fellow-citizens,” he exclaimed, as they pushed their way near to him, “this city at the present moment is under the absolute dominion of one man. Our wives, sisters, mothers and sweethearts have been taken away from us in a twinkling, and apparently we are powerless. An appeal has been made to Washing- ton, and what is the reply?” He took from his pocket a paper that he waved wildly in the air. ‘This is what we hear from our President in response to our call for help He says: (reading) ‘To the Citizens of New York: ‘*L cannot help you. I am only the President of the United States.’ “Think of this, fellow-citizens! Think of how low we have fallen, when we have permitted ourselves to drop into the hands of a man like Morgfeller.” At the mention of this dread name, shouts and hisses were heard on all sides. Cries of “Where is he?” “We'll make short work of him!” “Death to Morgfeller!” rent the air as the vast crowd, swayed by the most intense excitement, surged to and fro. The speaker paused, and waited until a measure of quiet had been restored. Then he lifted his hand as if pronounc- ing a benediction and his voice lowered perceptibly. “Fellow-citizens,” sively, he said, impres. “you have called upon me to comicbooks.com