Life, 1907-07-04 · page 8 of 48
Life — July 4, 1907 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertising and literary commentary**, not political satire. The top features a Remington autoloading rifle advertisement emphasizing its speed, power, and accuracy—typical early 20th-century gun marketing. Below are ads for Mobiloil motor oil, automobile apparel, and Scandinavian Fur and Leather Co. The right column contains "The Literary Zoo," a book-review section discussing poets' reputations. The author argues that achieving lasting fame requires more than twenty lines of good poetry, citing examples like Miss Braddon and Mary Cecil Clay. The piece discusses how Edward Bellamy and E.F. Benson achieved fame despite modest literary merit, suggesting reputation depends partly on factors beyond pure artistic quality. This reflects early 20th-century literary criticism and publishing concerns—no political commentary is evident.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
AUTOLOADING TheRecoil Reloads It SPEED-— Loaded in 1% second—5 shots discharged in one second. POWER -— Its striking force is that of a mighty ham- ACCURACY 5 bullets in a 1-inch circle at 75 yards. SAFETY-—A solid breech. REMINGTON ARMS COMPANY Agency, 315 Broadway, New York City RIFLE That’s American action. mer nearly a ton in weight. Cartridge is locked in the chamber until bullet and gas have left the rifle. Take-Down system, .35, .32 and 30-30 Remington calibres. ILION, N.Y. means the oil exactly suited to your engine. ‘Thisisimperative. Poor oil, oran improperly com- unded one, or the wrong oil will wreck the finest en- gine in short order. comes in several grades. No mat- ter what kind or make of automobile you own or what method of lubrica- tion is used—there's a al grade of Mobiloil your engine and no other should be used. Our instructive little booklet will tell you at a glance just what grade of Mobdiloil for yourautomobile. It's free to you. Mobiloil is sold in cans, barrels, and half barrels, Manufactured by VACUUM OIL CO., Rochester, N. ¥. WANTED—One or two per- sons in each town able to present a | subscription proposition of unusual menit to their immediate friends. A | very few new names bring hand- some returns. Full information and | particulars upon application to | LIFE, 17 West 31st St., New York Automobile Apparel AND & Accessories /. ~ LIGHT WEIGHT GAR- MENTS FOR HOT WEATHER VERYONE needs alight weight coat or duaer of lines, ponere, wk ot mohair. A rain coat is alo a pecensaryperauisi feather weight gum, ru ber, craveaneti or Sean dinavian leather. No imate bere you should in, the ‘country or Se thee i ne wil Gnd vo great vesiety of everything necessary for the comfort of the auto- Stee ether lover of out-of-door sports than may be found at our salesrooms, If unoble to call send for Catalog A Scandinavian Fur and Leather Co. 14-16 West 33d Street, New York & 4 ADVERTISERS PAY GOOD MONEY FOR SPACE IN “LIFE™ They do this to convince you of the value of their goods, They could not afford this expense if their goods were not what they claim. If you want or need any of their goods you will not be deceived by substitutes or imitations if you GET WHAT YOU ASK FOR enters FS PU fingers’ ends, Miss Braddon’s tales were in active demand here. Those wefe‘the brave days of “The Duchess,” of Helen Mathers (we believe we have the lady’s name cor. rect), and of Mary Cecil Clay. Against these and the greater “Ouida” we could only pit such popular names as Augusta ns Wilson and Mrs. D. EL N oO Southworth. How our infant industry has rallied since we compelled the book pirates to walk the plank! After our moming prayers of thanks for the protective tariff on steel rails, let us join in a hymn of ’ praise to Congress for the copyright law which in a measure protects us from Marie Corelli and her kind. Reputations SUGGESTIVE critic kas remarked that a poct may achieve fame, more or less enduring, with twenty lines of true poetry, even if he writes nothing more We might add that the something more, as in the case of Wordsworth, let us say, is only too often a curtain hung between his genius and the gaze of posterity. Delete the table of contents in the unabridged works of those classic bards who “bulk large,” and you will find the task of win- nowing the pages a trifle tiresome. Examples of the sufficient “twenty lines” w will readily occur to readers of poetry. It seems superfluous to cite Bayard Taylor's “Bedouin Love Song,” “The Chambered Nautilus” of Holmes, “The Tiger” of William Blake—any good scrap-book will supply the rest. * * * UTTING immortality and poetry aside, and turning to the plain eph- emeral prose of our own day, it is profitable to observe what reputation waits on the writer who lifts himself, if but momentarily, | above the dead level of his contemporaries. e In an age when everybody writes, when criticism is impressionistic rather than canonical, and public taste astray, it seems ! little short of a miracle that one should make a reputation with a single book, perhaps with a single short story—with an essay, even. Yet somehow the thing is done, and the ever-rushing stream of books | does not overwhelm it. Edward Bellamy | did it with “Looking Backward”; other- | wise, his name is writ on water. Beatrice © Harraden’s sad little tale, “Ships that Pass in the Night,” made her an international celebrity, and aroused expectations that have not been fulfilled. Because E. F. Benson, many years ago, wrote a rather sensational novel of moderate merit, he has ever since been known as “Dodo.” In a fit of creative frenzy, our own James L. Ford produced “The Literary Shop” — since then he has not dared to be as funny as he can. Edward W. Townsend made a popular success with “Chimmie Fadden,” without half trying; it was all in the day’s comicbooks.com