Life, 1907-12-05 · page 54 of 68
Life — December 5, 1907 — page 54: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page features a poem satirizing how the American West has become domesticated and commercialized. The text laments that the "Wild West" of frontier mythology—with gunfights, hardship, and rough cowboys—has been replaced by a sanitized, modern version where: - Former cowboys are now "hired men" - Mining camps have electricity and telephones - Rough miners wear "dress-suits" and "tall hats" - Rowdy behavior is considered "impolite" The satire targets the transformation of the West from a symbol of American frontier toughness into a commodified tourist attraction. The accompanying advertisement for the Golden State Limited railroad ironically proves the poem's point—selling "comfort" and civilized amenities to travelers seeking the romantic "West." The humor lies in mourning the loss of Western authenticity even as commercial forces actively erase it, reflecting early 20th-century anxieties about modernization destroying American pioneer mythology.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE The New West Oh, have yeu seen, my traveled friend, The expurgated West, Where men no longer tote their guns Attention to arrest; Where little Willie Tendertoot No longer gets a shock, But where they gather round the boy And sell him mining stock? Only 10 Cents a Jar Gone are the glories of the land for theabsolutely purest, cleanest and most de- vs licious horse radish. More geod horse radish in Where once the cowboy ranged, this sealed glass bottle, more rea! Aavur, more ‘That chap is now a hired man, healthjulness, than in the “bulk” kind which ped For, lo! the times have changed! diers and hucksters sell for the same money. No loses Nardihip italia sven, “As You Like It” Horse Radish For ifthe grub iy shy Wide roomy Inte uitesence af eating and pony ‘They call the sore by telephone benhsonthe ing it on ost 9w fates. grating and betting Teeched by human hans, maces {tthe kind And get a new supply. ne palastaalog processes. "Te Ce tae sing thlags, beat’ the ‘The wild and woolly mining camp G Ss F 2 sates SCs tadigstcs e eomarh Most of its wool has shed: OLDEN STATE tnle~a digestant and appetiz ‘The bold, bad men who used to roam We ATES a proven ted Uvichers east of Denver, recente ¢ bold, U.S. HORSE RADISH CO.. Saginaw, Michigan The streets have gone to bed I AMITED They do not now shoot up the town— That wouldn't be polite; make night-time vie Besides, it doesn't seem the way . . . To reat electric light. with day-time in Anew and milder race of men comfort for the trav- Now monkey with the game, And when they get their dress-suits on eller all the way to ‘The scene is trite and tame. Tall hat and fancy vest, ‘And looking all around you see @ There is not a tedious hour on this famous ‘The passing of the West. “* home-club-on-wheels.’’ @ Everything is Nashville American. planned to make your trip something to re- member. 4 " . ithmetic | @ Reading and smoking rooms, mission dining car, bar- "HESE questions are from a London arithmetic | ger, bufter, observation parlor, electrie lights, and the new Aa of the year 1785: Garland ventilator -- all combine to make the trip a ft- Sta ‘ apy y ting prelude tothe sleseares of sonar © fornia. A ‘A man overtaking a maid driving a flock of geese} "SE! peer a An is k ow S| said to her: “How do you do, sweetheart? Where| Ef car route of lowest ciitodee, an Hi Nn U | are you going with these thirty geese?” “No, sir,"| @ write tor illuurated booklets R) said she, “I have not thirty; but if I had as many Hog the Golden State and TIT T ds 4 more, half as many more, and five geese besides, I accemodations early. d qe Je sen should have thirty. JOHN SEBASTIAN, Islan A, B and C, playing at hazard together, the| _Pasenter Trafic Mer., Chicago, money staked was 196 guineas; but, disagreeing, each seized as many as he could. A got a certain number, B as many as A and sixteen more, and C the sixth part of both their sums. How much had P | each? P 3 | A gentleman going into a garden meets with some § ag |ladies, and says to them: “Good morning to you : ten fair maids.” “Sir, you mistake,” answered one a jofthem. “We are not ten, but if we were twice as many more as we are, we should be as many above “Cyco!” Bearing Carpet Sweeper ar ten as we are now under.” How many were there? ‘The pernlexing question of the year is you man bought a horse, and a vi what to buy at a moderate cost as a Christ: KNOWN THE WORLD OVER A man bought a horse; and by agreement was to] (AF nai ital atin ate leent 1 g | give a farthing for the first nail, three for the second, __ nicely, practicability anda ppropriateness. There ig etc. There were four shoes, and in cach shoe cight is practically no gift at the same cost that please wife, mother, sister or friend as much as ine nails. What was the price of the horse? Meer iSorcrnd Binal = Cyee® Deanne Answer: £9,651,114,681,693 138. 4d.—Rochester Sweeper, Itis finished as elegantly as a Herald. isto, ia a variety of on Ogre ocd J, nickled. Everything about the machine He says he has perfected plans that will \ iS AT eens of Dimell Sweepers are ‘ee Sales Agents Everywhere. | piacing the machines within the reach of all. ) fad i elie om tee ‘Mille |. Browse: My! that means a great business un- Constant Femtner of the fiver for ten, “S HERE CA BE WO HORE aki years, or more. ‘Reduces the labor of YOUNG. dertaking. sweeping 95 per cent., cleans carpets and GMT FOR OlDand Yo “Hm! It also means a great undertaking busi- rags 8 40° cory brooms can, raises no dusts ness."—Catholic Standard and Times. SY eee ee SPECIAL HOLIDAY OFFER Fixed Buy Bissell between now and Jan- The Sled that Steers & URING the recent stay in camp of the National > sary tet, 1908. FFs win seta hasrovecenta ‘Ths oat Guard of the District of Columbia, one of the eeoed gual rate trougeat ied aver inveoted, “fhe MM ase without an fe “Sergeant, note down Private Mooney—one day on bread and water for slovenly turn-out on parade.” “Beg pardon, captain,” responded the sergeant, Write forcardioard mosttshewing furtnewit works; sent free} | He's a vegetarian.” Bissell Carpe Uh colored CAristmas bootie, amd prices, “ ” gal taste toa bi ‘Betas SMe COO bar oe phitadeobia, Pa] _““Thens" said the captain, “give him one day on eas ‘The metal parts in'the best patterns are all ow Sold atour Storesaby | Were se vena low-priced motor-cars, Afren cry year an Christmas gifts an th and will outlast fifty corn brooms. Sold ‘by uary Ist, 1908, | from zeur dea! rr pre captains called a sergeant one day, saying: gate without mobeL faceorenen: ‘bat that won't make any difference to Mooney.| oi casey Poteates tod Masutsurers meat and soup.”—Harper’s Weekly. rs twas Wana) comicbooks.com