Life, 1905-08-03 · page 31 of 44
Life — August 3, 1905 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page's main cartoon illustrates a story about a wealthy St. Louis businessman who built his fortune through careful frugality. Now obsessed with economy, he lectures his spendthrift son about wasteful expenditures—particularly an uptown car ride. **The joke**: After lecturing about the son's extravagance, the father turns off the library light during their conversation to "save the gas." The satire targets hypocritical penny-pinching: the father's miserliness has become so extreme and reflexive that he economizes even during serious moral instruction, undermining his authority. The irony is that such trivial savings are absurd for a millionaire—his obsession with economy has become pathological rather than prudent. The accompanying anecdotes about a hunter and collapsing buildings follow similar patterns of comedic irony involving false economy or lucky circumstances. The page is primarily satirical short humor pieces typical of *Life* magazine's format.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Uneconomical Economy. 1. Louis there is a Yankee who settled in City after the Civil War, and re built up a fortune of millions. The s and conservatism by which he has unnlated his little pile have increased with isition has become a habit. He tas one son over whose expenditures he ciul watch. Recently, this offspring town car, The father who saw hi d knew his destination, judged his fare foolish t evening, after dinner, the elder called ng he had he inter- er man into the library, say’ to tell him. “But. first from his chair, “I will turn down rupted. rising the light: we can talk just as well in the dark, RIFLE 1 it will save the gas 1 proceeded oi ane aac | RIFLES FOR ALL KINDS OF HUNTING. eae avent Winchester rifles are not the choice of any one special class, but of all i a intelligent sportsmen who go to the woods, the plains, or the mountains darkne in quest of game. They are designed to handle all calibers and types of cartridges, to meet the requirements of all kinds of shcoting, and can always be counted on to shoot where they are pointed when the trigger is pulled. Winchester rifles and Winchester cartridges are made for one another. cried, “Sam, what are you doing i e from out of th well without in the FREE: Send name and address on a postal card for our large illustrated catalogue. , and, while ‘lurk, Ti taking off | L_WINGHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO, - = - _- NEW HAVEN, CONN. Por the rest of that evening economies were not discussed. —Success RU wuue UUUUCUY. UU. “IE 1d hada Smith Hammertess, These cigars are acknowledged as the STANDARD BRANDS “that wouldn't of /mported FIAVANA cigars everywhere the world over. Nanter AFRICANA CAROLINA ESTELLA INTIMIDAD ANTIGUEDAD COMERCIAL FLOR pe CUBA J.S.MURIAS — BOCK Y CA CORONA FLOR DEMURIAS PEDRO MURIAS CABANAS DON QUIXOTE FLORDEYNCLAN ROSA DE SANTIAGO CARVAJAL ESPANOLA HENRY CLAY VENCEDORA ROSA AROMATICA MANUEL GARCIA ALONSO VILLAR Y VILLAR These justly famous factories now stand alone pre-eminent after ears of highest excellence in their production as having acquired ey were put up.” said Mr, Ade, “by ‘and sustained the first place in the Worlds Havana Cigar trade. ders of a type too familiar to us in Amer-| E ways Na ADE was telling about some fin- ings that had collapsed, h ished, in Chicago. mice hea glass of beer. met and talked together , , 4 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK,NY gfy SELLING AGENTS FOR THE WORLD Jones, you always have better Inck than How so? se do you account for row vivee! Mt @ M PORTABLE HOUSES Summer Cottages Automobile Houses Children’s Play Houses Hunters’ Cabins Photograph Galleries, Etc. Made by auton 1 wn Better bul w houses blowing down in last week's vind wh th ? the woodwork, same mortar, © other builder, ‘but you had been papered.” less cost. Win: “oostructed on ready for occupancy from @1o 26 hours just two things that break up 1 destination, according to size of Louse ; ~?P NO NAILS. NO STRIKE py homes,” observed the Po- NO CARPENTERS. NO WORRY. r Everything fit. Anyone can erect them, m2" inquired the Squedunk WE PAY THE PREIGHT. Write today for catalogue. Tellus what ou want and we will give you a delivered price at on _ “Woman's love for dry goods an’ man’s love] MERSHON & MORLEY COMPAN' for wet goods, b’gosh!"—Belair (Md.) Times. 900 Broadway, SAGINAW, comicbooks.com