Life, 1907-11-21 · page 9 of 32
Life — November 21, 1907 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Main Cartoon:** "Jeanne d'Orleans, No. V—Her Hour of Triumph" depicts a female figure (labeled as representing "La Pucelle") being anointed by religious and industrial leaders. The satire suggests corporate and religious institutions are mythologizing or instrumentalizing a female figure for their purposes. **Text Section "Panic":** Discusses stock market turmoil—P.B.S. railroad stock collapsed, causing panic. The piece satirizes the disconnect between financial catastrophe and society's indifference, noting that while trains couldn't run and copper mines failed, wealthy men continued playing ball with stocks. **Social Critique:** The satire mocks how financial disasters are treated casually by the wealthy elite, contrasting real economic damage with their entertainment and propriety concerns. A sidebar joke about "Roosevelt. Railroads. Ruin" suggests contemporary political blame.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
slutely di with skim- JEANNE d'R. dOILYANS. No, V—HER HOUR OF TRIUMPH THE TRUST IS ANOINTED KING BY “LA FUSELLE,” ASSISTED BY THE HIGH PRIESTS OF MAMMON AND CAPTAINS OF INDUSTRY Panic HEN the Stock Exchange opened, P. B. S. railroad stock was quoted at 110, A. X. Q. at 97, Steel at 25, Copper at 51, Wheat at 96, Gas at 87, etc. At ten minutes after ten the quotations were for P. B. S., 96; A. X. Q., 743 Steel, 21; Copper, 41; Wheat, 87; Gas, 64, and all the rest going down with them. But at ten minutes after ten the P. B.S. was still running all its trains just as full as ever, the A. X. Q. was complaining that it couldn’t get enough freight cars, the steel mills were still months behind orders, the copper mines still existed, the demand for wheat showed no signs of decreasing, gas was still being burnt as recklessly, and everything else that was real was still in the same condition that it was at ten o’clock! Nevertheless, there was a panic and loud cries that the country was on the verge of ruin. But no money had been burnt up and not a dollar of gold had vanished into the air! Only a lot of stage money had disappeared! Also some gamblers had to stop their little game. Why is a stock representing a property to which nothing has happened worth ten dollars less at ten minutes after ten A.M. than it was at ten A.at.? And why isa race track any worse than a stock exchange? Will somebody please rise and explain what the panic was all about and why it is a disgrace to be a proprietor of a gambling house and the business un- lawful, while it is an honor to be a Stock Exchange member, no crime to corner the necessaries of life or to upset the community financially, and playing ball with stocks is a respectable business? Henry Waldor} Francis. “ H®s a gentleman, isn’t he?” “I don’t know. I’ve never seen him anywhere but in good society.” OOSEVELT. AILROADS. UIN. comicbooks.com