Life, 1908-08-06 · page 13 of 54
Life — August 6, 1908 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct pieces of social commentary: 1. **"The Lady in the Moon"** (poem by Frank Roe Batchelder): A whimsical poem imagining the moon as a woman, reflecting early 20th-century romanticism about space and technology. 2. **"Kentucky's Bad Roads"**: A humorous anecdote about Governor Willson's horseback journey over mountain roads so treacherous that his horse nearly fell into a gorge. The satire criticizes poor infrastructure in Kentucky's mountain counties—a commentary on state governance and rural neglect. 3. **Right illustration**: A caricatured figure, captioned in Dutch, appears to be ethnic satire typical of the era. The exact reference is unclear without additional context. The page exemplifies Life's mix of literary humor, political critique, and period-typical caricature.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
that you are a Jew does not enhance your beauty or picture. If you have a motor car see that it is fitted with a non- Jewish horn. “Don’t play cards with th: blinds up, especially on Sunda; “Don't play cards in the band stand at all, “Don't be offended at these sugges- tions. They are for your good and the communal benefit.”” The theatrical managers of London should get together and bar the editor of the Jewish Chronicle from their theatres. Kentucky's Bad Roads F there are any worse roads than those of the mountain portions of Ken- tucky, the localities they infest are ashamed to acknowledge it publicly. Last year, Governor Willson, Republican who carried the State, horsebacked all over the mountain counties where his majority came from. It was no pink tea job, cither, and there were moments, as he got down to sit by the roadside and rest his bones, when he thought he was paying a pretty high price for what he didn’t know whether he would get or not. One day, coming down an espe- cially bad mountain road, his horse slipped and came near throwing the Gov- ernor-to-be clear over his head and into a rocky gorge of unknown depth. “Jee-hosaphat!"’ he gasped, as he drupped back into the saddle, “there nearly went the whole d— campaign.” The Lady In the Moon HEN, at night, in by-paths lonely, W Lovers wander forth to “ spoon,” They believe they're noticed only By the old Man in the Moon. He, of course, will “keep it shady "— He has troubles of his own. But within the moon’s a lady, And her temper isn’t known. Do not think I’m talking vainly; Take a look, before you laugh. Yow can see her figure plainly In the great disc’s eastern -half. Though with secrets he is laden, Never does the Moon-Man “ peach "— What man would? But here's a maiden! True, she seems bereft of speech. Yet in these weird days of science They will be inventing, soon, Some new telephone-appliance To connect us with the moon. Soon that lady will be getting Well acquainted at this end, And it’s more than even betting That she'll have her “dearest friend.” All these ages she’s been throttling Gossip that would make things hum; There will be a grand unbottling When the word's no longer “ Mum! "* They may take her deposition For a case or two in court; She may edit an edition Of some “yellow,” just for sport. THE RESCUE Boys, how hot for you she'll make it! Girls, she'll have it in for you! And the worst of all, I take it, Is that what she'll tell is true. So, I beg you, use discretion— Choose the darkest nights to “ spoon,’” Lest you give a wrong impression To the Lady in the Moon. Frank Roe Batchelder. “VEN DER MOT VETHER COMES 1 ALWAYS VISH I VAS AN ISAACLE’? comicbooks.com