Life, 1909-04-22 · page 22 of 32
Life — April 22, 1909 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page primarily features **advertising and literary promotion** rather than political satire. The main content is a poem titled "Plaint of the Humble Writer" that satirizes the publishing industry's unfair competition. The joke: wealthy industrialists like **Carnegie and Rockefeller** are now writing novels and magazine articles, crowding out struggling professional writers who depend on publication fees for survival. The poem lists absurd editorial demands (demanding lion stories, serializing William Jennings Bryan and Admiral Robley Evans) to show how desperate editors have become. The poem represents the *anxiety* of working writers facing competition from wealthy amateurs with resources to promote themselves—a distinctly early 20th-century complaint about democratized publishing. The rest of the page contains **commercial advertisements** for Mrs. Rinehart's new novel "The Man in Lower Ten," Kosmeo cosmetic powder, grape fruit serving instructions, and Swiss health resorts. These are standard period advertisements, not satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE — Mrs. Rinehart’s New Novel Plaint of the Humble Writer Tam just a humble writer With no plutocratie hoard— Doing scribbling grave, or lighter, To secure my bed and board But what can a stot eller Do to earn his pork and beans Now that John D. Rockefeller Sells stuff to the magazines? A. Carnegie is an author Crowding out we lesser lights, Joying in the fuss and pother Over everything he writes. ‘Tis a long climb up Parnassus, Old. Pegasus’s gait is slow— And the billionaires can pass us While, despairing, on we go “*The Manin Lower Tel Mary Roberts Rinehart, is one of the strangest and most entrancing of latterday mystery stories. “The Circular Staircase,” her first novel, made a commotion, but it is The Man in Lower Ten” wil interest and wider approval. i ‘i ace of mind antil the last word has been said And as you read the text you will be pleased by the illustrations in color by Howard Chandler Chris Shudder, all ye fiction-makers, pon read the te Trl) be pleased by the i joward Candler Chri All who do adventure tales; tive and remarkable piece of fiction. She ls happy in devcrigt ue t.—PAudadel pra Kece All ye busy nature-fakers ‘Ae all boo oy Be prepared to wail some wails! The BOBBS-MERRILL CO., Indianapolis, U.S. A. Who will care to read how chipmunks’ = Telegraph to all their friends? Roosevelt next year will nip monks Se reed For his literary ends. ir jo rath aad Sarees oye come i rary lorere f goad things will em BITTERS eae oak eee ele ide Editors demand a lion Roaring from the cover page: Soon will William Jennings Bryan To do serials engage. Gruff old fighting Robley Evans Docs the story of his ships; All's at sixes and at sevens, We but get rejection slips. 1 am but a humble writer, Using up the midnight oil; Better far were I a fighter, Or in some financial toil, Or an earnest politician— Then the editors would sce What a store of erudition Is in stories done by me. ‘Asmavinia, } The four-season resort of tbe South. Tue ‘Manor, the English-like Inn of Asheville Oysters Much has been said concerning the soler of the law and the stores of wisdom and ripen logic that are to be found in the opinions deli cred in our highest courts of justice. It is, therefore, with a feeling of peculiar awe ard admiration that on consulting the New Jersey State reports for the year 1858 we come across the following in an opinion delivered by Chief Justice ees Oysters, like domestic animals, . . will not stray from . . . house or persee They do not require to be . . . made tare by art, industry or education, nor to be confined If at liberty they have neither the inclinatice nor the power to escape. ‘ —Wilbur D, Nesbit, in Chicago Evening Post. GREAT BEAR SPRING WATER “It's purity has made it famous” materi Treader: which ] a Switzerland. “xe | , | 6000 FEET ABOVE SEA. rapes Profes Renowned High-Alpine Health Resort, “'mcxccsirc” rarer waters: ees Terminus of the world-famous Albula Railway. wil b SEASON from June Ist to September 30th, "°° SP? ors ist.S°$2tca prices, Lawn-Tennls. Golf Links. The Guests of the under-named Establishments are entitied to attend all Solrées, Concerts, &c. of the 4 Hotels. ROUTES :—(a) via Basle-Zurich-Chur-Thusis and the Albula Railway: (b) Lindau-Chur-Thusis: (c) 74a Landeck-Schuls- or Stilfserjoch and Bernina Pass by Diligence: (d) by Diligence véa Chiavenna-Maloja. Ask for latest Prospectus No. 14, sent gratis and post-free on application to the following Hotels :— Al Hotels:-KURHAUS—NEUVES STAHLBAD—VICTORIA—DU LAC. ee comicbooks.com