Life, 1909-06-17 · page 9 of 32
Life — June 17, 1909 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes a planned "Great Marathon Race" where Hall Caine (a literary figure) attempted to suppress writing about the "Black Hand"—a name associated with Italian organized crime and extortion threats. The header asks why, if suppressing the Black Hand, they shouldn't adopt it as an emblem. The main cartoon depicts a man and boy, captioned "Don't be afraid, Tommy, it's only a woman," showing a woman in masculine attire. This illustrates contemporary anxiety about women's changing roles and appearances. The lower cartoon, "Black Side Whiskers," is a separate joke about facial hair fashion. The article discusses race logistics and includes quotes suggesting the event's actual occurrence was uncertain, lending the whole piece a mocking tone toward the endeavor's legitimacy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
SINCE WE ARE TOO CONSIDERATE TO SUPPRESS THE BLACK HAND, WHY NOT ADOPT IT AS AN emLem? LIFE'S Great Marathon Race Hall Caine Tries to Make Trouble, But Is Sternly Repressed Ev’ thing has been moving rap- idly toward the consummation of Lire’s Great Marathon, to take place in this city on Thursday. Hall Caine, how- ever, tried to withdraw when he heard the conditions, which, as already an- nounced, were that contestant should refrain from writing anything for a year. “It isn’t the loss of the money that I object to,"’ wrote Mr. Caine, “but the fact that the British and American pub- lies have come to depend upon me for their morality. If I stop for a year they will degenerate.”” Gilbert Chesterton at once called on Mr. Caine and pointed out to him that so far as America was concerned Dr. Lyman Abbott was still writing for the every “WAS DR. BEE EVER WRITTEN ANY AUTHORI- TATIVE Work?" OM, YES, HE WAS WRITTEN A TREATISE ON PUNCTURATION,” “DON’T RE AFRAID, TOMMY, IT’S ONLY A WOMAN Outlook, and our morals were safe. As for England, the Oscar Wilde vogue was coming to be so acute over there that they could probably worry along on that for a year. Mr. Chesterton then of- fered 10 pull out Mr, Caine’s whiskers if he put up any more kicks, and Mr. Caine subsided. Alfred Austin, who is somewhere on the continent, just wired : “TL be there. Do you want me to write an ode for the great occasion?" We immediat: ‘0. Non Never.”” The course has not yet been fully determined upon, but in all probability it will be from Mark Twain's house to Lire Building. Elinor Glynn was seen yesterday im her training quarters. “Tam down to fighting weight,"’ she said, “running now easily twelve miles a day. I shall bring this up to fifteen this week, and in another three weeks I expect to do the twenty-six miles, barring accident, in four hours. I may say that I hesitated to go into this race at first. I could see no good in it. I fied now, however, that it has a real moral purpose. It will show to every one the true condition of us au- thors, and as lo as the truth is told we need not fear the result."* The city is rapidly filling up for the great event. Robert Chambers has en- gaged the Waldorf for a week. He can be seen training there in the palm ro every day. It looks as though he would give Hall Caine a hard race. In all probability the race pulled off on Thursday, if the weather is good. will be ML. 72. BLACK SIDE WHISKERS comicbooks.com