Life, 1909-12-16 · page 8 of 32
Life — December 16, 1909 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains birthday congratulations to prominent figures (Henry Clay Frick, Cyrus Townsend Brady, Thomas Wentworth Higginson, and Orson Lowell), followed by two satirical sections. **"Twelve O'Clock and All's Well!"** appears to be a cartoon about labor disputes and business shutdowns. It references factory closures, railroad curtailments, and workers' associations preventing excessive spending—likely commentary on early 20th-century labor unrest and economic pressures. **"Fate of a Reform"** satirizes a reformer's complaint about women's spending habits. A "brave and bold man" claims women spend too much money, but the satire suggests such reform efforts are ultimately ineffective or hypocritical—mocking both the reformer's ambitions and gender-based economic criticism. The page reflects Progressive Era concerns about labor, consumption, and social reform.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
880 “LIFE: verance entirely aside from your exalted position. We know that you have a record for fashionable achievement We extend to you the hand of good fellowship and wish you joy on your birthday. We hope that the number of these will continue to reflect lustre upon us all, and we trust that you will devote more time to us and less to foreign countries in the future than you have in the past Salute ! HENRY CLAY FRICK Bora December 19, 1849 Cernite sim qualis; qui modo qualis eram—Ovid. There are those who assert that so far as the fortunes of men are concerned chance governs everything, while others are equally positive that it is Pittsburg. ‘or many of us, to have been born in or near Pittsburg, half a century ago, was equivalent to becoming a millionaire. Can it be said, there- fore, that the gentleman whose name graces this greeting has molded his own fortunes, or rely that he has bowed to the inevitable? It is easily’ conceivable that a man might not want to become a millionaire. Shall we commiscrate with Frick upon the possibility that he was forced into it inst his will, or shall we congratulate him upon the fac that Providence started him right?) We shall do neither. A man’s money ought not to be spoken of in connection with his character. It is a personal matter. One never can tell when it is not a deformity. Mr. Frick has displayed on nany an occasion much courage and a great executive ability He is generous and gentlemanly in his behavior. Here's to you, Mr. Frick. May your character never grow less! CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY Born Decemb:r 20, 1861 Ut magnum, versus dictabat, stans pede in uno.—Horace, We were about to wish you, precipitately, many happy re- turns of the day, when it suddenly occurred to us that, as one of the most prolific authors of the day, you might take it in a wrong sense as meaning book returns. We shall therefore reconstruct our congratulations on a more stable basis and wish you as many more birthdays as you have more books to write. What more can we say? THOMAS WENTWORTH HIGGINSON * Born December 22, 1823 Sed nil dulcis est, bene quam munita tenere dita doctrina ‘sapientum templa serena Despicere unde queas alios, passimque videre Errare, atque viam palanteis quacrere vitae.—Lucretius. A long and active and high-minded literary career, inter spersed with innumerable journalistic incidenis; a residence in Poston; almost a five-foot library of books to one’s credit, and the respect and love of two. generations—one passin away and the other here—surcly this is something Colonel Higginson, we are glad to greet you on your dis- tinguished birthday. ‘We have not always agreed with your opinions and your estimates, but of what consequence is it that two friends should view existence from slightly different standpoints? We delight to do you honor on this your natal day. May your shadow never grow les: ORSON LOWELL Born December 22, 1871 Habet salem While we realize that this little birthday to Mr. Lowell is strictly a family affair, the prominence of both " parties "” in the social world demands wide publicity. This young man has done so much to enliven these pages, and he has done it in such a thoroughly workmanlike manner, and with so much elegance and wit, that we should be failing in our obliga- tions if we did not take him aside, on this his birthday, an administer the proper paliative. Mr. Lowell, we are glad that you are so young. As an artist your skill is a constant delight; as a wit your play of fancy 1s always unique and interesting; as a friend your com- panionship is a pleasure. Many happy returns! Fate of a Reform VENTUALLY there arose a brave and bold man who vigorously asserted that the women were spending too much money. He claimed that no sooner did a man get one “TWELVE O'CLOCK AND ALL'S WELL! hatch of bills scttled than another batch, even greater than the preceding one, fell upon his neck. Thousands of men agreed with him; he was elected presi- dent of an association to prevent the spending of so much money. For two months he was on the top wave of popularity. Then the depariment stores began discharging their em- ployees because of poor business, the factories laid off their hands for the same reason, the railroads curtailed their forces because of decrease in freight—and so it went. The man was not only deposed and his association aban- doned, but he was anathematized as an enemy to his country and a foe of labor, So the country went back to the old basis, and everybody except the men was happy again. Victory at Last HAT is, of course, relatively. The vivisecting doctors cannot prevent cancer, nor cure it, nor understand it. But they can give it to rabbits and mice! It is possible that after a few more thousand experiments on live animals they may be able to give it to kangaroos—or even elephants. comicbooks.com