Life, 1909-09-09 · page 18 of 32
Life — September 9, 1909 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct satirical pieces addressing public behavior and civics in early 20th-century New York: **"Hey, Rube! Help Down the Hoodlums!"** critiques public apathy toward rowdy youth terrorizing Sunday ferry and train riders. The article argues that ordinary citizens—not just police—bear responsibility for maintaining order, accusing the public of being "sheep" who passively tolerate misbehavior rather than intervening. **"Petite Foreigner"** cartoon mocks a confused foreign visitor unable to reach the telephone operator at "Central," satirizing New York's reputation for inefficiency and rudeness. **"A Little Conversation"** depicts the Grand Old Flag (representing America) and the Tariff Bill as characters complaining that only politicians discuss them when defending their votes—a jab at politicians using nationalist rhetoric and trade policy as convenient talking points without genuine engagement. The decorative header shows an "Undress Parade" of figures in various states of disarray, likely commenting on social disorder or impropriety generally.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Hey, Rube! Help Down the Hoodlums! Z observe with sympathy the efforts of the police magistrates of New York to keep in order the hoodlum boys who terrorize, on Sundays, certain. sub boats. The boys Most of them they cut up be way trains and ferry are not tough are rather small and is no competent grown per- so very cause there son near to make them behave Most of the folks who ride in the public vehicles in York so far as concerns protecting themselves re sheep Polite Foreigner: et.o! eto! res EET 2AT 218 KES ZE CENTRAL? AM! VEREE 1 WREL TROUBLE You, FEF RING FOR ME ZE NOM- coop! PARDON: YOU PLEASE, TO BAIRE— Central (akruptly) : Line’s Busy. UNDRESS PARADE or the public from abuse by the unruly There is no vigor of public opinion as behavior in public habitual on the to what is decent vehicles. Smoking is platforms of surface cars under notices that prohibit it, and I habitually carried into the closed cars These th ard of pul in cars has been checked h diminished because the standard of public been raised It is now to see how much the stand ard of deportment for hoodlum boys in he public vehicles can be clevated. To are done because the stand © manners permits it. § nd very manners in that particular has raise it is due, not only to the public, but to the boys, who are greatly injured by being allowed to become public nuisances ; suffering in the first place as children lack of intelligent, parental disci they suffer as boys from the cow- from pline, lly indifference of a public that will not protect its own comfort nor defend its own rights. It behooves every orderly adult male citizen in New York to regard himself as a special officer charged with keep ing order in the public vehicles. To be patient is admirable; to be pusillanimous is contemptible; and the patience of the subway public in New 0 pusillanim street car a York approaches very near with the ity. One real n makings of authority in him, and some vigor of speech, can easily keep a score of rowdy boys in order; but real men are not very common, and there is altogether 109 much disposition to feel that the public order is the sole concern of officials to maintain it, and that private ergencies to who meddle with what is not their business. That is altogether a wrong notion. The public order is the concern of every citi- hired citizens who undertake in defend it are butters-in zen who benefits by its maintenance, and lly and morally it is his business to intervene when it is assailed A Little Conversation HE Grand Old Bill sat side b; “Well,” said the T everybody is talking about me.”* “ Yes," agreed the Grand Old Flag “The only ones that aren't talking ab bout g and the rift side. riff Bill, “nearly you are talking me."* “ How's that? “The Congressmen and Senators men- tion me when they are asked to explain why they voted for you MMA, is this a reat vacation “Certainly dear God isn’t “Then watching us more, is THE BAIT comicbooks.com