Life, 1905-01-19 · page 11 of 38
Life — January 19, 1905 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Main Illustration:** "The Real Automobile Fact" depicts a chaotic scene of early automobiles crashing and flying apart, with occupants being thrown violently from vehicles. This satirizes the dangerous, unreliable nature of early automobiles. **Poems & Content:** - "Flying" celebrates the speed and freedom of motoring - "Not Guilty" defends Life magazine against critic M.R.H. Boynton's accusations of making "over-brilliant jokes about the mother-in-law and the fiancée" - "Chronic" jokes about keeping a husband in jail for "kleptomania" - "Distant Clouds on a Title" discusses Harvard's alumni death records **The Satire:** The central irony contrasts romantic poetry about automobiles with the brutal reality of crashes—mocking both automotive unreliability and society's romantic enthusiasm for dangerous new technology.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
—— 4, Soll oG Flying. O's the roadway narrow And under the azure sky We glide with the speed of an arrow, My motor car and I. Out where the corn is waving— The wind blows fresh and strong— Our souls in the ozone laving We sing the cylinder’s song. Over the hills we rally Under the sun’s bright gleam, And down through the restful valley We fly in our power supreme. With us no spectre may reckon. Who cares if, as onward we fly, A legion of sirens may beckon My motor car and 1? T. M. Chronic. Maxacer OF DEPARTMENT STORE: Are youaware,madam, that you can be put in jail for klepto- mania? “Why, no, I’ve been practicing it on my husband for years.” THE REAL AUTOMOBILE PACK, Not Guilty. Me: H, W. BOYNTON, in one thee ** Literature Lire of ‘not over-brilliant jokes about the mother- in-law and the fancée.” The Lire of Mr. Boynton’s imagination may print mother-in-law jokes, but the real Lire hasn't had one for years, It is curious that with the whole calendar of sin to choose from, Mr. Boynton should have happened to charge Lire with a crime of which it is not guilty. Journalism,” accuses Distant Clouds on a Title. T the desire of the Superintendent of Necrology of Harvard, the Boston Transcript prints a list of about one hundred and fifty Harvard graduates, from S. Bellingham, 1642, to T. Brown, 1729, with a request for the dates of their decease. Every alumnus whose decease is not recorded remains a cloud upon the title of the oldest living graduate. Superintendent Noyes wants to clear that title, and the way to do it is to put dates of death to S. Bellingham, 1642, We hope he will succeed. Such satisfaction as there,is in being the oldest living graduate of Harvard ought not to be marred by uncertainty whether $. Bellingham, 1642, is still alive. Two Tales. ODD: I tell you that auto of mine is a great success. Runs like a dream, Topp: Why, I understood it was breaking down every night and kept you up until midnight. "Yes, so my wife thinks."’ Interested Ontooker : IS YOUR AUTOMOBILE? Muffed Voice: NWOUT FORTY MULE-POWER, OF WHAT“ POWER” comicbooks.com