Life, 1908-09-03 · page 17 of 36
Life — September 3, 1908 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces reflecting early 20th-century concerns: **Main Image:** A futuristic cross-section of a New York street shows multiple transportation layers—aerial vehicles (appearing to be early airships), elevated trains, and ground-level transit. Caption reads "Not Yet, But Soon," satirizing predictions of urban congestion and technological overcrowding. **"Optimism" poem (by Berton Braley):** A romantic verse celebrating non-material wealth—nature, love, and joy—as superior to money. It's satirizing both wealthy materialism and sentimental idealism about contentment without riches. **"A Real Surprise":** Mocks anti-tuberculosis serum research, suggesting such medical advances frequently fail despite the vivisectionists' (animal researchers') pride in them. **"Beau Ideal" and "In the Good Old Summer Time":** Brief domestic humor dialogues critiquing marriage expectations and political platforms as unsuitable entertainment for youth. The page reflects turn-of-the-century anxieties: rapid urbanization, scientific limitations, and cultural disillusionment.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
241 Optimism M quite devoid of money, Je" aseverytody knows; But the summer sky is sunny And there's perfume to the rose For gold that’s bright and yellow The golden rod will do. I'm rich as any fellow, Or that's my point of view! The song the breezes utter, The twittering of birds, The leaves that lisp and flutter, My true love's tender word The lakes that dance and dimple, The scent of fir and pine— 1 own them in fee simple— Hence, all the world is mine! I have no broad green acres Of which I'm over lord, But joy’s for any takers, And joy’s my only hoard; And while my comrades name me Companion in their mirth, I shall myself proclaim me “The richest man on earth Berton Brate: A Real Surprise [ey atextcan camie To THE HER: atp.] Buenos Avees, via Ganveston, Texas, Sunday.—The special cor mittee charged to investigate the efficiency of Behring’s anti-tuber- culosis serum reported that the experiments were a complete fail- ure ” Serums are the pride and joy of the vivisector. If reports of . ~ ~ “ this kind are encouraged some ORAANT: ga crazy mischief-maker will soon . be declaring that Brer Rabbit's —_ = foot is no protection against rheumatism Beau Ideal E has everything to make a woman happy.”” “On the contrary, he has noth- ing but wealth. “Dear me! What more can a woman ask of her husband than that he have wealth?" “That he have brains, beauty, bravery!" gener / - But pan _ namMIMAa Mer “Or, failing these, heart dis- ———Se y case!” In the Good Old Summer Time fairy stories tor “Nothing, my boy, but the Re- SECTIONAL VIEW OF A NEW YORK STREET publican and Democratic _ plat- ms, and they are too sad for “Nor yeET, BUT soon’? one so young.’* comicbooks.com