Life, 1906-04-05 · page 37 of 58
Life — April 5, 1906 — page 37: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a satirical short story about marketing a health food product. Mill president Kinglake and superintendent Gerster develop a cheap, artificial food supplement containing glucose, albumen, marble dust, and bran—ingredients kept deliberately vague and unappealing. The satire targets **turn-of-the-century health food marketing**: Kinglake recognizes that success requires deception. He must find a salesman who genuinely *believes* in the product through ignorance of its actual ingredients. The irony is explicit: Gerster's closing quip—"Then you'd better not tell him what's in it"—exposes how consumer trust depends on withholding truth. The accompanying crude joke about cremation appears unrelated filler content. The story satirizes both **fraudulent health product industries** and the **manipulative psychology of advertising**, suggesting that sincere deception sells better than honest mediocrity.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
-LIFE- A Labor of Love. By Grace CuarMan Sraper. "VE got it at last.” popular health food on the market— “I wouldn't dare tell you,” he said, Ruius Kinglake, president of — that is, if it is pushed." soitly. “Ir’s—well, it has a little the Kinglake Mill, looked up as his “It will be pushed all right.” said glucose, and albumen—not cnough to superintendent entered. Kinglake, “if it is the right thing.” hurt—and marble dust and bran and “Got what, Gerster?’ he asked. Gerster poured from a small — some—other things. You sce, it had “ You don’t mean to tell me that——"" porcelain vessel he carried, into a to be cheap and practically tasteless, Gerster nodded briskly. He was a aucer lying on the desk, white and it had to look attractive. That a devil's man, hali-German, with a studious — several times. He examined it care- ime in making some of the look and sharp eyes. He was covered — fully. dients soluble, but now it’s with white “That looks pretty good,” he said “Yes,” he said, “after working night at last. “What's in it? and day for a formula, I've got what The ioreman looked around care- 1 believe will prove to be the most — fully. He got up and closed the door. short, stout, intelligent’ appearing flaky substance. Kinglake tasted it| was my problem. [had ingre- s easy as pic. We'll have to get a complete new set of baking ovens, but other- wise our plant can turn it out by the arload.” How much will it cost to make?” “I figure, roughly, about one cent inglake got up and grasped his superintendent cordially by the hand. “Gerster!” he exclaimed. “You're a genius, I guess you've struck it all right. Of course, the advertising problem is the whole thing. I've got to put it in the hands of the righ man. It will cost a hundred thous- and at least to place it on the market. After that it will be easy. man! The right man!"" “T should think that might be eas: said Gerster. “There are plenty of good agents, and——" “You don’t understand the problem. I've studied it pretty well, and there’s one thing certain. © man back of this health food must believe in it thoroughly. There are too many of them on the market at present for us to expect to succeed in the ordinary manner. Gerster. there’s a psychology in advertising cerity has got to be at the bottom. The man who takes this up must have an absolute con- viction in it and must have such a keen interest in it that he will make it succeed. That's what the public demands. It must be a labor of love.” “Then you'd better not tell him what's in it.” grinned Gerster. Kinglake did not answer at once. He was thinking. “Of course not.” he said at last. Young Wife (excited and horrified): JACK, MOTHER SAYS SHE WANTS TO RE CREMATED! He thumped his hand on the table Jack: ALL RIGHT. TELL HER TO PUT HER THINGS ON AND I'LL TAKE HER DOWN AT ONCE, “I have an idea!” he exclaimed. (This story ts continued on the fifth advertising page following.) comicbooks.com