Life, 1909-07-08 · page 26 of 28
Life — July 8, 1909 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page features a series of humorous poems poking fun at what were called "nature fakers"—a real early-1900s controversy over writers and naturalists who exaggerated or fabricated animal behavior in their work. Each brief poem uses animal puns and wordplay to mock this trend. Examples include a cassowary made "wary" by hunters, a "dromedary dairy," and a dromedary afraid of spiders because it would be "eyed her." An anaconda "conned" a hen; a hippopotamus gets blown up ("hippo-potamus a muss"). The satire targets both the gullible public who believed exaggerated nature stories and the authors who invented them for dramatic effect. The poems, credited to various newspapers, suggest this was a widespread cultural joke—readers found amusement in absurd animal tales. The page also includes period advertisements and unrelated humor, typical of *Life* magazine's format.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Nature Fakers’ Fancies ‘The cassowary is a bird That's hard to capture, ve Folks hunting for her plumes have made The cassowary wary Kansas City Times. But once a —Chicago Tribune, The dromedary roamed about, Or toiled to fetch and carry; Until some Yankee fitted out A dromedary dairy Indianapolis N But dromedaries oft are And this one loathed a spider— She ran away when one came by Because the spider eyed her. —Cleveland Leader. Behemoth and some dynamite Got in a serious fuss; The detonation left the bip- Popotamus a muss. —Monmouth (Ill.) Atlas An anaconda told a hen That of her he was fonder Than all things else. But she soon found The anaconda’d conned her. —Middletown (Conn.) News. S22 Remember, Whether naturally perfect or not, your teeth require daily care, and will well repay the regular use of Calvert's Carbolic Tooth Powder. from ists Sample and Booklet trem Park & ‘Tiford., 927 Broadway, Cor England. + Sap Dorchestes Street West Montreal Act Promptly and Avoid Suffering From Hayfever ‘The Nasalfilter prevents you from breathing any pollen or dust, the causes of Hayfever. Made of Sterling silver, fitted with fine mesh cloth, changeable at will, Order a Nasalfilter at once and save suffering all the season. —) PRICE $2.00 Write for booklet UNIVERSAL SUPPLY COMPANY, 4th Floor, Globe Bldg., St. Paul, Minn. Modern Education A Mean Man “Johnny is having trouble in preparing his lessons to-day “How's that?" “The teacher says he must bring six grass. hoppers to school to-morrow, and grasshoppers are scarce "—Unknown Exchange She said her fortune was her face. Responded he That poverty Was no disgrace —Philadeiphia Bulletin. For Your Den, Summer Home or Bungalow Yachting Marine Prints Selected Subjects from Illustrations in Yachting Copyright, 1900, by C. E. Bolles, Yachting Pub. Co. A GOOD SLANT OF WIND Size of picture, 11 x 14. on plate marked mount. In rich green, $1.80. Price, hand colored, $3.00. UPERB art reproductions in photogravure and photo-gela- tine. The processes by which these are done are photographic and not only preserve the clear- ness and realism of the pictures, but add softness and _ artistic quality which greatly enhances their charm. Mounted on suit- able Art Mounts they are admir- ably adapted for framing or for keeping in portfolio form. Many of the best art dealers throughout the country carry these pictures, or they will be sent carefully packed, express prepaid, upon Gy ics mea, yachting Pub. Co receipt of price. THE TROUGH OF THE SEA Send 2 cent stamp for illustrated folder of other Yachting Size of picture, 12 x 1414, on double art mount. Prints of selected subjects from illustrations in Yachting. In green, $1.0. Hand tinted in full color, $3.00. YACHTING PUBLISHING CO., 20 Vesey Street, New York _ comicbooks.com