Life, 1909-11-18 · page 14 of 36
Life — November 18, 1909 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page celebrates three prominent figures' birthdays with satirical commentary: **Francis Hodgson Burnett** (author): Praised genuinely for drawing literary characters from real life with charm and humanity. **Andrew Carnegie** (industrialist/philanthropist): The satire is sharp—Life congratulates him on reaching 70 but sarcastically suggests he deserves "spanking" alongside congratulations. The joke: Carnegie accumulated vast wealth but struggled with how to spend it responsibly. Life urges him to "stop prospering"—a cutting remark implying his wealth-building is outdated and he should focus on legacy instead. **Hetty Green** (financier): Called the "Witch of Wall Street," she was famous for extreme frugality despite immense wealth. Life's Latin epigraph translates roughly to "avarice burns in the heart." The satire praises her self-reliance while mocking her obsessive money-hoarding. The cartoons below illustrate wealth and poverty: "The Bread Line" shows desperate poor queuing for food, contrasting sharply with the birthday tributes to the ultra-wealthy above—highlighting Gilded Age inequality.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
706 Popular Birthdays FRANCIS HODCSON BURNETT Bora Nov. 24, 1849 Respicere exemplar vitx morumque jubebo Doctum imitatcrum, et veras hine ducere voces. Horace It seems to us that Mrs. Burnett has fellowed Horace’s advice. She h drawn her characters from real life and invested them with her own charming personality. Above all, she has told a story To be a great literary artist is nothing if one is not human. Mrs, Burnett is certainly human and interesting Lire takes off its hat to you, madam You are an amusing and interesting writer. We prefer your works to many of those on Dr, Eliot's shelf And we trust that you may live long among us yet and prosper. Pray accept our felicitations, ANDREW CARNEGIE. Born Nov. 25, 1837 An dives sit omnes qui unt, nemo an bonus. Mr. Carnegie, Lire has done about everything to you except shake hands with you on your birthday. Let us be cordial with cach other. You have now attained the three score and ten years which are supposed to be man’s allotted time, and no doubt have had opportunities of making certain com- parisons, You have learned that the disposal of money is an unpleasant busi- ness. You have tearned that reputations Re * are not made with bank accounts and that true glory comes to him who for- gets that it is desirable. We think that you ought to be spanked as well as congratulated. It’s a_cere- mony rarely omitted with youthful peo- ple like yourself. Consider, therefore, that seventy-two spanks have ben administered, and a couple more for good luck And may you, sir, lve long and stop prospering, for ‘you’ don’t need it any more. HETTY HOWLAND ROBINSON GREEN Born Nov. 21, 1835 Fervet avaritia miseroque cupidine pectus? —Hor. It has been said by an old-tin cialist, who was hard up, that the love of money is the root of all evil. “Give then,’’ remarks a philosopher, plenty of the root.’ The truth is that the love of money is universal, and indulged in by all peo- ple, the only difference being that those who have not been lucky in acquiring it conceal their annoyance by deprecating its power for good. The lady we write of knew all this Jong ago, and more. She was convinced that no ‘one would help her if she did not help herself. She therefore pro- ceeded to help herself. In doing this she has acquired courage: also a contempt for the opinions of others. Madam, Lire doffs its cap to you and recognizes your intrinsic worth Congratulations, and many happy re turns. THE BREAD LINE THE SPIDER AND THE FLY comicbooks.com