Life, 1906-03-15 · page 36 of 38
Life — March 15, 1906 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This humor piece satirizes the frustrations of early 1900s telephone technology and operators. Mr. Miggles attempts calling a friend, but encounters a central operator who repeatedly misunderstands his request. The comedy escalates as Miggles provides increasingly absurd personal details (his address, age, pets, home décor, rose garden failures) in exasperation, while the operator simply needs his phone number—which he's been stating all along. The satire targets both the telephone system's inefficiency and Miggles's own impatience and verbosity. The operator's confusion about "house number" versus "phone number" reflects the genuine confusion surrounding early telephone numbering systems. Miggles's escalating oversharing illustrates how frustration with new technology could reduce even reasonable people to absurdity. The joke ultimately lands on human nature rather than technology itself.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
*ETPE- BOONEKAMP Bitters Bracer—tonic—and cordial. Delicious at all hours. An “Elixir of Life.’? Invigorates, strengthens, enlivens but does not intoxicate, Gives an ap- petite, and good health. ENJOYABLE AS A COCKTAIL AND BETTER FOR YOU. €,000,000 BOTTLES IMPORTED TO THE UNITED STATES. At all hotels, clubs, restaurants, wine merchants, grocers, etc. 4 only by BERG ALDRECHT, Rbetnberg, Germany, Since 1846 LUYTIES BROTHERS, General Agents, New York. At the ’Phone. R. MIGGLES was trying to call up a friend who lived ina suburban town. Mr. Miggles looked up the number, then got cen- tral “Hello!” he said. “Give me Elmdale two- ought-four-seven.” “Elmdale? I'll give you the long distance?” Long distance asked, “What is it?” “Elmdale two-ought-four-seven.” “Elmdale two-ought-four-seven?” “What is your numbe; “IL just told you. Elmdale two-ought—” I mean your own house number.” xty-five Blicken street.” ‘Oh, that isn’t what I mean. Your "phone number.” “Why didn’t you say so?” asked Mr. Miggles, | who is noted for his quick temper. “I did. What is it?” “Violet Park ei ht-seven-seve “Violet Park eight-double-seven ?” “I reckon so.” nd what number do you want mdale two-ought-four-seven.’ “What is your name?’ “My name is John Henry Miggles. I live at 65 Blicken street, Violet Park ; my house ‘phone is Violet Park cight-seven-seven, or cight- double-seven, as you choose ; I am married, have no children; we keep a dog, and a cat, and a | perpetual palm, and a Boston fern, and——” I that is unnecessary. sir. We merely —” ‘and last summer we didn’t have a bit of luck with our roses; I tried to have a little garden, too, but the neighbors’ chickens got away with that; the house is green, with red gables; there is a cement walk from the street; I am qo years old; my wife is younger, and looks it; we have a piano; keep a cook and an | upstairs girl; had the front bedroom papered last week and I want to—”" “Did you want Elmhurst two-ought-four- !" gasped Mr. Migg “Well, the circuit is busy now. Please call again.” But Mr. Miggles wrote a letter—! leans Picayune. QUALITY UNEQUALED EXCELLENCE UNSURPASSED QUALITY UNEQUALED. EXCELLENCE UNSURPASSED FREBRIALE NS a i LEE IBLIS LIQUEUR PERES CHARTREUX —GREEN AND YELLOW— THIS FAMOUS CORDIAL, NOW MADE AT TARRAGONA, SPAIN, WAS FOR CENTURIES DISTILLED BY THE CARTHUSIAN MONKS (PERES CHARTREUX) AT THE MONASTERY OF LA GRANDE CHARTREUSE, FRANCE, AND KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE WORLD a8 CHARTREUSE. THE ABOVE CUT REPRE- SENTS THE BOTTLE AND LABEL EMPLOYED IN THE PUTTING UP OF THE ARTICLE SINCE THE MONKS’ EXPULSION FROM FRANCE, AND IT 18 NOW KNOWN AS LIQUEUR PERES CHARTREUX (THE MONKS, HOWEVER, STILL RETAIN THE RIGHT TO USE THE OLD BOTTLE AND LABEL AS WELL) DISTILLED BY THE SAME ORDER OF MONKS WHO HAVE SECURELY GUARDED THE SECRET OF IT3 MANUFACTURE FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS AND WHO ALONE POSSESS A KNOWLEDGE OF THE ELEMENTS OF THIS DELICIOUS NECTAR. Atfrst class Wine Merchants, Grocers, Hotels. Cafes, Batjer & Co., 45 Broadway, N NY. ‘Sole Agents for United 5 QS PEEL TL BIEL ELE GRGRSLO A perfect hand made sour mash, copper distilled whisky. Absolutely pure, aged by time alone. AT ALL FIRST. CAPES AND worete, GEO. A. DICKEL & CO., Distillers, Nashville, Tenn. IHE 1906 edition of our catalog— LIFE’S PRINTS—is now ready and will be cheerfully sent to any address on receipt of ten cents. It contains many reproductions in miniature of new drawings by Gibson, Hutt, Gilbert, Read, Ker, Jones and others, which when framed make artistic wall decorations at small cost, besides lending an air of refinement to the home. LIFE PUBLISHING COMPANY 17 West Thirty-first Street New York OLD CROW RYE smo WHISKEY soe S308 885 00. | comicbooks.com