Life, 1907-11-07 · page 36 of 50
Life — November 7, 1907 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines a Gorham silverware advertisement with a serialized story about political corruption. The cartoon at bottom illustrates the story's climax: a working-class man (Casey) reading a newspaper about a lost dog while standing near a poster, representing his newfound independence. The narrative describes how Senator Hendricks manipulates Casey, a city worker fired by Superintendent Starr. Hendricks promises to help Casey regain his job, extracting five-dollar bribes weekly under false pretenses of "influence." However, Casey discovers Hendricks is merely stringing him along and finds better employment with a rival politician (Rawb'ns'n), who also hires Casey's friends. **The satire's point**: The story exposes machine politics—how corrupt politicians exploit working-class voters with empty promises and hollow influence. Casey's escape through a competing patron satirizes how even corrupt systems can accidentally benefit the common man. The election defeat of Hendricks ("by the scant margin of twenty votes") suggests political comeuppance, though it appears almost accidental rather than principled.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Gorham Sterling Silver Tableware (GORHAM Sterling Silver Tableware, sub- stantial in weight, perfect in execution, may be bought at the following prices and up- ward: SPOONS Tea . 5 - per dozen, $8.25 Dessert . 14.75 Table . . 22.00 Coffee, gilded bowls 6.00 Soup, round bowls 19.00 FORKS Breakfast, Dessert or Entree . . Dinner or Table. 14.75 21.00 KNIVES Breakfast or Dessert Dinner or Table. 19.00 21.00 Other individual and serving pieces at equally favorable prices. It will be seen by comparison that these quotations are in Many cases the lowest the market affords. They are only made possible by the exclusive manufacturing advantages possessed by the Gorham Company as the world’s largest makers of Sterling Silver Table- ware. These prices include marking and flannel rolls. The Gorham Co. Fifth Avenue Hendricks made his way immediately, as he had promised, to the office of the Superintendent of Streets. ‘It’s working beautifully, Jim my,” he said. ‘‘Don’t put him back till I say the word. We'll keep him guessing awhile yet.” For Casey on his next visit Hendricks had only discouraging words “Starr he’s got to save money, and he’s beginning by firing the most incompetent of the subforemen. He says you come in that class and he doesn’t see how he can make any exception in your favor” “Oh, my God, Sinator, listen to that! Me incompetent, does Jimmy Starr say? Me that had ought to bea foreman, at least! Ask Murphy, ask O'Neil, ask Hooley! Ah, ’tis enough to break a man’s heart.” “Tl do the best I can; I'll keep at him,” Hendricks said, consolingly “T’m going to take him out to lunch to-morrow, and then maybe I car: work on his feelings.” “If you only can, Sinator! If you only can get me back my job!” For a week Casey made daily visits to his patron, who avowed an in creasing exasperation against the obstinate Superintendent of Streets “But I'm keeping up the fight on him,” Hendricks declared. “I've still got something up my sleeve; I haven’t quit yet; I'll bring some more influence to bear. I mean to show Jimmy Starr he’s not the whole thing And, meanwhile, if a little loan would help you out”—— Casey went away with another of the Senator’s five-dollar bills. Two we before the election Hendricks telephoned to the Superin tendent of Streets, “We've got him tamed,” he announced. “Much obliged, Jimmy. You'll let him come back to-morrow?” Then he sent for C “Well, old man,” he said, and his face beamed with happiness, “I've got good news for you at last. Jimmy Starr has i us back on the force miatee? A | grave smile passed over Casey's face. guess I won't be goin’ back to Jimmy Starr. Ye seemed to have so littk inflooence I thought ‘twould do no harm to put my case before Mr Rawb'ns’n, And Mr. Rawb’ns’n thinks you and Jimmy have bee: stringin’ me. Mr. Rawb’ns’n’s give me a job at his ice-house that pays better’n one of Jimmy’s subforemen. And I'm to have Murphy and O'Neil and Hooley with me—and there may be jobs for about twenty nine others. Doesn’t it mind ye of an old song, Sinator—‘How Wouid Ye Like to be the Ice-Man In the election in the Fifth Senatorial District that year Robinsor defeated Hendricks by the scant margin of twenty votes. PASHION’S DECREE comicbooks.com