Life, 1909-12-23 · page 27 of 28
Life — December 23, 1909 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains **primarily advertisements** interspersed with reader letters and a social commentary article. The main satirical content is "The Ultra Smart Set," which critiques wealthy New York socialites—particularly women. The author argues they are "sheltered defectives" with "dementia praecox" (an older psychiatric term), poor physique, and no genuine talents. They're observed at country clubs, racetracks, and charity events, where they dabble unsuccessfully in arts or writing. The piece suggests their wealth enables mediocrity and social parasitism, and that many become neurotic, requiring physicians and nurses. The satire targets the leisure class's emptiness and dependence on inherited money rather than merit or ability. The page also features advertisements for Sulmona tobacco, Atlantic Coast Line railway service to Florida, Old Overholt Rye whiskey, White Rock water, and Hartshorn shade rollers—typical early-1900s consumer products.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
di Eeehha ° 2 & ) at your dealers will sent’ prep | Sent FREI E. HOFFMAN COMPANY, MFRS., 179 Madison St., Chicaoo. WITHOST A BITE OR A REGRET. The best blend of the world’s finest tobaccos. 13$0z. 40 cts; $4 02, 1 upon re Booklet “ How to smoke a Pip From Our Readers (Continued from page 930) Well, Did You Ever ? tox Lire, New Yous lemen:—Graft is the order of the and Lire has to be in the swim. ng 25 cents for the Christ £ when it docs not differ, cither from the average num volume of advertis- are-faced a hold-up ent, who pokes a nd relieves you of size or qual ber, except your 1 nd your watch. Ther feel bette J hope your appreciate the iniquity of your conduct J. J. Pane, St. Lovts, Mo., Nov. 30, 1909. The Ultra Smart Set There is a class of people in New York City of special interest to the social philosopher and to the neurologist and alienist. We are alluding to the ultra- smart set, so-called. The women of this class are more especially interesting. They appear to in the main, sheltered defectives. expression” is usually inane, vapid and suggestive of dementia prxcox Excessive wealth surcly carries its own terrible compensations. Its possessors need not be envied. These women, and in particular the younger ones, are of poor physique and Thus they general deterioration or decad- older ones are better nour- ally poorly nourished ut nevertheless poorly condi- tioned The appearance of these degencrates is wholly consonant with the popular con- ns regarding their methods of kill- ing time. It fully bears out the concep- VIA Atlantic Coast Lin Light € German ses, WASHINGTON THE STANDARD RAILWAY OF THE SOUTH. Four Pullman Trains Daily ,i°'¥34, “Florida & West Indian Limited” “New York & Florida Special” “Palmetto Limited” “Coast Linc Floricn Mall” Pennsylvania Ferry, ‘West 23d Street, 9.55 A.M. 1.25 P.M. 3.25 P.M. 9.25 P.M. SUPERIOR ROADWAY, EQUIPMENT and SERVICE TO Augusta, Summerville, Thomasville and Florida Resorts. Overholt is the expression used by many men who know what whiskey quality means. By calling for Old Overholt Rye they get a ripe, mel- MJ low whiskey of rare bow quet and flavor. Ask for Old Overholt Rye and you will re Monilennge of A. Overholt & Co. Distillers Pittsburg, Pe. While Frock. “The World’s Best Table Water’’ THE WILLIAMS PRINTING COMPANY tions, under the scrutiny of the trained medical observer. Listen to them converse and the diag- nosis is comple’ They are to be seen chiefly at certain country clubs, fas! nable race tracks, hunt clubs and charity bazars. They not only lack talent of every sort but the most elementary faculties only are theirs. Some of them make la- mentable attempts at the terpsichorean or dramatic arts among their kind, by whom they are, of course, applauded. One of them occasionally writes a book calculated to make and becomes known among his set as a devil of a littérateur. Charity is a common field for their ex- ploitation Were it not for their wealth and the social sycophancy it engenders they would speedily come to social and psychopathic judicious grieve grief, for as a class they have not brains enough to entertain, edify or propitiate cir fellow al pl Many of them become neura or rather succumb to their con neurasthenia and finally are unable to live without trained nurses and a certain sort of fashionable physician who is a kind of professional ly of these sacred ravens’ mentia often closes t No well-informed medical New Yorker will dispute the essential truth of the foregoing paragraphs.—Medical Critic and Guide. HARTSHORN SHADE ROLLERS Bear the script name of Stewart Hartshorn oa label. Get “Improved.” no tacks required. Wood Rollers Tin Rollers comicbooks.com