Life, 1906-01-25 · page 9 of 24
Life — January 25, 1906 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes a financial fraud scheme. The dialogue reveals that witness "Lawson" testified about the "Carnegie Improvement Company"—apparently a stock swindle where promoters collected investor money but never actually started the business. The key figures appear to be Andrew Carnegie (the famous industrialist) and someone named Chauncey, who is cross-examined about why he delayed repaying embezzled funds. His excuse—that he "thought perhaps wouldn't have to"—exposes the fraud's cynicism. The cartoons show caricatured men in various poses of guilt and evasion. The satire mocks both the scheme itself and the legal proceedings attempting to expose it, suggesting widespread financial corruption among prominent businessmen of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The next witness was sworn on a pile of his own ads., two feet thick. ‘ They are my only gospel,” he said feelingly. “Now, Mr. Lawson, what do you think about Chauncey’s reprehensible action ?"" “ Pretty bad. But there was one re- deeming feature about it.” “ What's that 7?" “Why, he didn’t pay up until he had to--that’s something to his credit.” “But he did pay up. You acknowl- edge that.” “TL really don't know. I’ve Leen reading so much of my own stuff in the papers lately that I can't tell what to believe. “ Very well, Now, Mr. Lawson, what would you have done in his place? Sup- pose you had started the Lawson Im- provement Company ?"" “Can't imagine such a thing. * But you can imagine trying to start a new company with other people's money, can’t you?” ‘Sure. That's different.” “ Well, suppose--"" “T tell you what I would have done. I would have called on the System, and if they hadn't come down handsome, I would have squealed. I'm a squealer from ‘way back. Any- way, I would have made the mark pay me. I wouldn't have been loser."" Andrew Carnegie was then called, “ Mr. Camegie, I have here a hun- dred thousand dollars. I wish to start “Suppose vou had started the Lawson Improvement Company i the Carnegie Improvement Company. How much stock will you take?" “Til take all you have, and water- ing it with notices of myself, throw it on the market inflated three or four times." “Good! Now, Mr. Carnegie, im- agine it's one year later. The Car- negie Improvement Company is now no gocd. It’s insolvent. It’s a drug en the market , Will you give me back my money ? “Not on your life ! But I tell you ** Chauncey fidgeted.” what I will do. I'll give you some ot the Camegic Improvement Bonds, payable a thousand years from to-day ase I'm remembered." do you think of our friend ? Is he as bad as he is painted ? “Of course he is. Why didn’t he make ten times as much while he had the chance? By this time he could g away millions, and I would have another competitor.”” Mr. Depew was now cross-examined Ir. Choate. . Depew, you have heard the ge against you—conduct unbe- coming a grafter. Now, sir, why did you pay back that money? Answer me truthfully.” Chauncey fidgeted. “I did it to square myself.” “ But why did you wait so long?” “I thought—perhaps—I—wouldn’t —have—to.”” “Ah, then, you evidently are not entirely lost to all sense of modem financial honor. Chauncey, tell me, how did you feel when you realized that you had to pay back that money ? “T'm ashamed to say.” “ Aren't you sorry for it ?”” “ Will you ever do it again ?"” comicbooks.com