Life, 1907-04-04 · page 20 of 48
Life — April 4, 1907 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several satirical pieces typical of early 1900s American humor: **Main Cartoon:** Depicts Arthur Brisbane's purchase of the abandoned village of Allaire, New Jersey for $125,000. The satire questions what Brisbane intends to do with this "white elephant"—a defunct former iron-works town. Life mocks the impracticality of his scheme while expressing curiosity about whether he'll attempt to repopulate it with "people and ideas." **"Do They Feel Safe?"** sarcastically references wealthy industrialists (Harriman, Rogers, Ryan, Stillman, Rockefeller, Frick) who Life suggests may be stashing money abroad like South American revolutionaries, implying fear of civil unrest or expropriation. **"Both Were Sociological Workers"** makes dark commentary on the Thaw trial (Harry Thaw's 1906 murder trial), cynically suggesting both Thaw and his victim were "earnest students of sociology"—a contemptuous dig at their supposed intellectualism masking their actual depravity. The humor relies on readers' familiarity with contemporary scandals and wealthy figures.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
this little confidence. It has done me a lot of good.” hat remains to be seen, Mr. Jerome aven’t given you up yet, you know. Good-day.” “G-good-day.” Village News ARCH 15.— Big Bill Edwards, late of the Princeton football squad, has been appointed Deputy Street Cleaning Commissioner for Manhattan. Go in, Big Bill, and stop the dirt from flying. Weare all behind you, and want to see you demonstrate that it takes a tiger to clear out the t *s lair. Le Last month in Reading and U.P. twenty points. Finder will be rewarded. Some Difference “DP? I understand you to say that my Appearance has improved?” T said you looked more like your- Undertaker; LET HER OUT, JAMES; MR. CARBURETTER WOULD TURN OVER IN HIS COFFIN IF HE HAD TO TAKE THE DUST OF ANY OF THE MOURNERS, What Will He Do With It? TH papers say that Mr. Arthur Bris- bane has bought for $125,000 the abandoned village of Allaire in New Jer- sey, containing several hundred houses and most of the customary appurtenances, to social life. There was once an iron works or something that furnished Allaire with the means of subsistence. It went out of business and so did Allaire. Its population moved away, and the village was left an empty shell. Probably Mr. Brisbane has some scheme in his mind for putting human life back into this depository. What can it be? He can hardly contemplate start- ing up the old works again. Whatever can he intend to do with his interesting white elephant? He will put brains into it, of course, and probably folks. But what kind of brains and what kind of folks? We want to know and will watch to see. Think of buying a village and restock- ing it with people and ideas! What fun! Do They Feel Safe? HARRIMAN, Rogers, Ryan, Stillman, W. Rockefeller, Frick—interesting men, aren’t they? Do you suppose they and their like keep big balances in Paris or somewhere abroad, as the South American revolu- tionary presidents do, so that if they should have to cut stick and run for it they would have something to live on? Both Were Sociological Workers Ce observers of the Thaw trial who have followed the evidence given, and estimated the bent of that which was disallowed, are convinced that both the prisoner and the man he killed were earnest students of sociology. That each should have found a fascinating subject of research in the other was pot to be wondered at. te e< UP TO DATE comicbooks.com