Life, 1909-04-08 · page 7 of 32
Life — April 8, 1909 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Main Cartoon:** "Had Captain Kidd Possessed an Aeroplane" depicts a historical pirate with an early aircraft, satirizing modern warfare technology's destructive potential—suggesting even historical villains would be more dangerous with contemporary weapons. **"Providential" Section:** A rotund figure holding a bowl discusses food rationing and conservation. The text advocates eating less to increase "available human power," arguing that reducing consumption could free up resources and labor for more productive purposes—likely WWI-era propaganda promoting sacrifice for the war effort. **Lower Dialogue:** A visitor and "Waldo" (Emerson Houghton) discuss whether to introduce a topic for "polite conversation," suggesting social awkwardness about current events or difficult subjects. **Overall Theme:** Wartime concerns about technology, resources, and maintaining civility during crisis.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
HAD CAPTAIN KIDD Po: ED AN AEROPLANE Providential AY we not, after all, discern the hand of Providence that powerful in- stinct in virtue of which we spend so much energy digesting food which we don’t need? For if we were to eat no more than was necessary, what more likely than that the consequent augmentation of available human power would result (10 mention but a few possibilities) in: 1. Great works of literature be- ing multiplied until, instead of six best sellers to read each week, we should have sixty, or even more. 2. Muck getting itself raked in half the time, and the wood pulp situation commensurately _ embar- rassed through so much genius be- ing left with no alternative but to wreak itself in short stories. A DAY TO CELERKATE 3. Politics being purified right out from under the feet of the reformers. 4. The tariff undergoing immediate revision, with all the attendant horrors of business uncertainty, simply in order to keep Congress busy. In short, there need be about so much left undone, if im- portant interests are not to suffer. Ramsey Benson. RIGGS: Nodd is on good terms with his wife, isn't he? Grices: Indeed yes. Why, there was no ill feeling about exchanging the cravat that she gave him for Christmas. “JACK, what is the baby crying for?" “For the kitten.” “ Didn't I tell you not to take the kitten away from him “I didn't, Mother. I took the baby away from the kitten.’” ae Visitor: mow OLD ARE YoU, WALDO? Waldo Emerson Bostonbeans: poes THE SUBJECT REALLY INTEREST YOU, MADAM, OR DO YOU INTRODUCE IT MEKELY AS A THEME FOR POLITE CONVERSATION ?