Life, 1908-04-23 · page 8 of 24
Life — April 23, 1908 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes a fictional race from New York to Paris by automobile, featuring characters named Metcalfe, Taft, and Anthony Comstock. The narrative mocks these figures' competing motivations: Comstock aims for the "North Pole" (likely referencing his moral crusades), while others pursue "magnetism" and commercial opportunity. The cartoons depict exaggerated character types—a bearded "discovered" figure and well-dressed advertising men—satirizing turn-of-the-century America's obsession with automobiles, exploration, and sensationalism. The references to mining stocks and Wall Street suggest mockery of financial speculation and hype. The overall piece appears to be satirical commentary on American ambition, commercialism, and the era's fascination with technological advancement and polar exploration, presented through absurdist humor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ard the gas brigade! with the smel iy blundered. drifts to right of then, he rear of them, cad of them Onward they thundered! At LAST report the wonderful Lire containing the two world-famous Yale men, Taft and Met- calfe, assisted by one Anthony—various- and “Cleopatra” auto, the ly known as “Dub Mil! at “ Discovered * Comstock—-was just. com- ing in sight of Fairbanks. It was bitterly cold! A pack of wolves that had been following the car ran into the Fairbanks zone be- fore they could stop them selves. A few escaped, but most of them froze to death before they could retreat Fairbanks, as here and there some one may remem ber, is the icy Vice-Presi- dential belt that surrounds the Rooseveltian aurora borealis. He slowed down as the ip came up. “Discovered tered, as he al Zi he mut- hted from his machine and gave his pursuers a fond, Frozen- North smile. “Whither :, friends?” It was only necessai point to the wonderful with its famous Yale flag and its world-wide legend: “On to Maxim's!” “And you?” asked Taft of the extin- guished human icicle. “Oh, I'm bound to the North Pole, by way of Nome. You know the old song, when you are a Vice-President and haven't any country and are traveling northward: ‘Be it ever so humble, there is no place like Nome.’ “And why are you going North?” asked Metcalfe. “To sce if I can get a little magnetism. You have heard of the magnetic North, haven't you?” Both Yale men looked at each other knowingly. y to “Hope springs eternal,” sang Cleo- patra Comstock, who had been slyly listening, “in the human icicle.” “Shut up, Dub,” said Taft, kicking him gently but firmly, “and place those whiskers of yours underneath the ma- cnine and sce if your fine, artistic eye can geta finer adjustment on that carbureter. This is no time for you to loaf. Get busy!” In a few moments more they had sprung into their seats and the was off with a rush, Fairbanks rear. It was a beautiful day in Nevada. As they whirled by, lovely gold mines could be seen blossoming on every side. far in the “ Bribed!”" Crowds of advertising men—who were working the mines—gathered by the side of the road and cheered them. At Goldfield they were presented with the freedom of ever The only villa pre them with a huge bouquet of mining stocks—fresh from the printing press. One of these had on the certificate a picture of Venus rising from the sea— being an allegorical representation of J. P. Morgan ascending from Wall Street with his panic halo. The great car cy Suddenly at Be line, Metcalfe looked Dub was not there! indered on. ty, near the border round. comicbooks.com