Life, 1905-07-27 · page 7 of 24
Life — July 27, 1905 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The cartoon depicts a caricatured man in formal dress carrying a large building (labeled as a club) on his head, captioned "Russell Sage at Newport." The accompanying text discusses the S.P.C.A. (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), critiquing what appears to be a bookkeeping error—a "$44.70" debt balance in their "Sand Bag Account." The satire targets wealthy philanthropist Russell Sage, suggesting that despite his charitable donations and public benevolence, even prestigious organizations like the S.P.C.A. struggle with financial mismanagement. The visual joke of Sage literally "carrying" institutions comments on how the wealthy shoulder organizational burdens, while the text questions whether such sloppiness undermines their credibility and noble intentions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
-LIFE- 107 The S. P. C. A. T last there is a clue to at least one of the many my: t teri If one will tum to page 15 of the 1905 report of the Haines Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and glance down the report of John Mason Knox, the treasurer of that jolly little Madison Avenue Club, he will find therein this entry Sand Bag Account, debit balance. +++$44-70 Can it be possible that this was a slip of Mr. Knox's ional pen, or does the Society permit its officers oc humorous lapses into slang by way of brightening its annual publication? And yet, what a confession of in- competency this entry would seem to be! Think of Lying in wait in dark corners for unwary old ladies, and then, at the end of a whole y aving to admit that the result isa debit lance of $44.70! Is the S. P. C. A. losing its cunning, or are the old ladies keeping indoors these parlous times? failed in this branch of its en- deavor, it was eminently successful in the allicd pursuits. Page 14 of Mr. Knox’s contribution to the gaicty of New York shows two items which will save the Society's blush- 44-70 in the ¢ And yet, if the Socict ing too furiously over its poor Ii and Bag Account.’’ These items are 149-83 455 Bequests... segs ea venenens Members’ Dues and General Donations, .... The total is. + $49,354.38 of the dues i And although the amount not specified, owing to the general “lumping” character of the report, this sum indic ducted its noble work It is a pity slang over this and enter it s how admirably the organization con- at Mr. Knox did not drop into + $40,334.38 t outcry for reform in the $ P the Sand Bagging squad There is, just now, a g CA. The $44.70 suggests th nized at once and thoroughly trained in jiu jitsu for this vear’s activities, because Mr. Knox, no doubt, re- ceived a sound wigging from Mr. Haines for ite wretched work of last y > reorga car. Limbering Up. ISS TARBELL, Dr. Gladden and other recent reme- dies seem to have done Mr. John Rockefeller a world of good. He squandered eleven millions on benevolences within two days, and threatens more such outbreaks. Some of his friends affect alarm, and say that if the bung once comes out of Uncle John’s barrel, the Johnstown flood will be nothing to it, Let us not worry about that until it hap- pens. We don’t think it will happen so suddenly as to be dangerous, and if it does, one can climb a tree—taking care, of course, as a matter of common prudence, to roost a RUSSELL SAGE AT NEWPORT. little higher than Thomas Lawson. comicbooks.com