Life, 1907-05-30 · page 5 of 20
Life — May 30, 1907 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The page contains three satirical pieces about contemporary social issues: **"Noticeable"** (top cartoon): Depicts a crowded social gathering where someone comments that another person looks "stouter" and is wearing "heavy underclothes"—likely satirizing fashion trends or body-consciousness at social conventions. **"Her Loves"** (left): A sentimental poem about women's affection for birds and nature, contrasting with the satirical tone elsewhere. **"Dividentially Speaking"** (center): Mocks railroad executives' logic regarding wage increases. A railroad man argues that increased employee wages necessitate increased freight rates, which increase commodity prices, which increase living costs—creating a self-defeating economic cycle. The satire targets corporate justifications for maintaining low wages despite increased profits. **"In Dramatic Form"** (right): References Little Red Riding Hood, apparently critiquing melodramatic theatrical conventions. The overall theme appears critical of corporate economic reasoning and social pretension.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
NOTICEABLE. “YOU LOOK STOUTER THAN YOU DID AT THE LAST CONVENTION.” “po 1? MUST BE THE HEAVY UNDERCLOTHES I’M WEARING.” Her Loves in great copiousness. The railroad man modestly replied that a decrease of dividends would be hardly necessary. says she loves th tty birds, bea Py =, * < HIE S08 Ne ote eee piss Decrease dividends! Perish the thought. Such an idea is sy, Ly F ‘The warblers sent by heaven LY) Wi LA, To cheer along the world with song, totally incompatible with ‘what the traffic will bear.” Or, in’ BE Aap) Soothe hearts by sorrow riven. the words of that famous captain of industry,‘ We care not who Their every note thrills all her soul pays the bills, so long as we get the dividends.” With sweet, ecstatic quiver, Ellis O. Jones. And oft she feels that she should kneel a ‘And thank the gracious Giver In Dramatic Form Of every good and perfect gift, [tarte Red Riding Hood in drama was different, however. Who set the first sweet bird adrift. “What a great mouth you have, grandma,” she faltered. “Oh, dear, yes,” replied the wolf. ‘That is so the play- wright can put more epigrams in it.” Whose piped refrains in joyous strains “And not the better to eat me up?” quoth the child, shaking Give gladness without measure, off the old tradition but hardly. = And one can read within her eyes “Bless you, no! Anyway, not as long as the public taste And animated features demands the happy ending.” Her love for these gems of the trees— —— The sweetest of God’s creatures; ese who are constantly seeking to kill time make the A love that is so fervent that poorest companions. Their whole life is an acknowledg- She wears oue-on Het new spring hat. ment that they themselves are not interesting. Dividentially Speaking O* ACCOUNT of the increased cost of living, the railroads, with an eclat of generosity, by the way, recently granted a more or less general increase in.the wages of their employees. This increase, we are now told, must be met by an increase in freight rates. An increase in freight rates necessitates an in- crease in the price of commodities. An increase in the price of commodities causes an increase in the cost of living. An in- crease in the cost of living necessitates a further increase in wages, and so on ad lib., Q. E. D. In the meantime, a prominent railroad man with a slight propensity for garrulity has been interviewed by an enterpris- ing reporter, who.asked, among other things, whether it would be necessary to decrease dividends on the oceans of stock now oustanding, to say nothing of the new issues which are proposed THE CALL OF THE BLOOD She says she loves the feathered throng That fills the earth with pleasure, comicbooks.com