Life, 1907-06-06 · page 47 of 56
Life — June 6, 1907 — page 47: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct satirical pieces: **"Roman Financiers"** (left): A brief humorous essay listing extravagant spending by wealthy ancient Romans—Mark Antony, Caligula, Crassus, and others—to mock excessive wealth and conspicuous consumption. The opening cartoon shows two tiny figures marveling at a spiral staircase, with the caption implying the wealthy care more about architectural showiness than practical living. **"Patented?"** (bottom left): A short joke about a salesman pitching a "new" letter-opener to a man who refuses, claiming his current one works perfectly and is two years old. The satire targets both aggressive sales tactics and consumer resistance to unnecessary "improvements." The rest comprises **advertisements**: Du Pont gunpowder for hunting, Whitman's chocolates, and Borden's sauce—typical early-20th-century magazine filler. The page blends light satire on wealth, consumer culture, and marketing with practical commercial messaging, reflecting Life's mixed editorial-advertising format.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
YOU" RE MORE OR INTERESTED IN ARCHITECTUR HOW'S THAT FOR A SPIRAL STAIRCAS Roman Financiers HE wealth of many of the ancient Romans was reckoned far into the millions. Mark Antony during his somewhat checkered career squandered no less than seven hundred and thirty-five million dollars, and Tiberius left at his death over eighteen millions, which Caligula spent in less than a year. Records show that this spendthrift paid one hundred and fifty thousand dollars for one supper. Horace tells us that Pegellus, a singer, could in five days spend forty thousand dollars, and Clodius on a small wazer swallowed a pearl worth nearly forty thousand dollars. The estate of Crassus was valued at eight million four hundred thousand dollars. Lucullus dined at the rate of eight thou- sand dollars a meal for several wecks, Lentulus was worth not less than sixteen millions, and Apicus squandered nearly five millions of dollars in a few weeks.—Philip pine Gossip. ARRIMAN keeps his mergers merging just enough in nce of the investigators to in- Fill Your Pockets With Good Shells Don’t forget that the effectiveness of your shooting and the size of your bag can be helped or hindered by the powder that is in your she!!s, If birds are plentiful, you can always fill your game- sack if your shells are loaded with either “NEW SCHULTZE” or “NEW E. C. (Improved)” —two PERFECT BULK SMOKELESS SHOTGUN POWDERS made in America by American Experts. They are clean, quick, regular, and do the work. You can always rely on shells loaded with either “NEW SCHULTZE” or ‘‘NEW E. C. (IMPROVED).” (N. B.—-DUPONT RIFLE POWDERS meet all requirements. Write for descrip- tive folders, stating caliber and make of rifle.) E. I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS POWDER COMPANY Established 1802 WILMINGTON, DEL, \ ‘sleds : sure these inquisitive gentlemen steady work. Philadelphia Ledger. Patented ? HE agent stepped briskly up to Mr. Howard’s desk and laid a small article down close to his busy right hand. “T have here a new letter-opener,” he said, “a handsome article, to be put on the table in your li- brary, and” “T have the best letter-opener and the quickest,” interrupted Mr. Howard, without turning his head. “How long have you had it?” persisted the agent. “You know there are constant improvements.” “There's no need for improving mine,” responded the writer, “I’ve had her about two years—anni- * versary comes next month.”—Youth’s Companion. Chocolates and Confections Rule in their own sweet way over the heart of every lover of fine candy. STEPHEN F. WHITMAN & SOM, 1316 Chestnut St., Phila, comicbooks.com