Life, 1910-02-24 · page 20 of 36
Life — February 24, 1910 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine (likely early 1900s) contains three satirical pieces: **1. "Life's Aeroplane School"** – Dark humor about early aviation's extreme danger. The "school" advertises near a cemetery with doctors and ministers on staff, jokes about weight reduction and burials, and admits most students get "through without permanent injuries." This mocks the nascent, highly fatal aviation industry. **2. "Our Bills"** – Political verse naming current officeholders: President Taft, William Jennings Bryan (defeated candidate), NYC Mayor Gaynor, and "Tariff Bill" (likely referring to tariff legislation). The satire concludes that the "mighty Dollar Bill" rules all—a commentary on money's dominance in politics. **3. "What Does S.P.C.A. Mean?"** – Criticizes the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' New York branch for endorsing vivisection (animal experimentation), contradicting its stated mission. The text, added later ("LATER"), notes the organization publicly defended vivisection in its February bulletin.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
"LIF E* Life's Aeroplane School Now Open to the Public E take pleasure in announcing that we have opened a school for aeroplanists, and all our friends and patrons are invited to attend the daily exercises. We keep a large number of aeroplanes for renting pur- poses, but in order to avoid necessary delays we advise our customers to bring their own machines. Machines can be stored at a nominal price. Our field is pleasantly located near a large cemetery. Doctors and ministers constantly in attendance. Reduce your weight before beginning. It is safer All burials extra. Payments for tuition strictly in advance. We show you how. You do the rest. While we don’t guarantee results, quite a large percentage of our patrons get through without permanent injuries. Hos- pital near, with handsome trained nurses. Many pleasant ro- manees under way already. Nothing like a period of con- valescence for this. Call or write. Pleasant O:d Locy (referring to the weather): sv! 1's A MIT alky, AIN'T 17? rious Englishman (very sensitive about his chest and arms): WELL, WHAT IN TITUNDER DID YOu E CT, MOSTRICH PLUMES? Our Eills ILL TAFT is now our President, Bill Bryan hoped to be, Bill Gaynor rules at City Hall In spite of Tammany; While Tariff Bill makes Uncle Sam Just toe the mark, yet still A greater ruler rules us all, What Does S. P. C. A. Mean? "Tis mighty Dollar Bill! “BEAR AND FORBEAR ’? OES it mean Prevention of Cruelty to Animals? Does the New York branch of this society stand for Prevention of Cruclty to Animals, or for Vivisection? They are very different things and cannot go together. Vivisection under any conditions, limited or unlimited, legal or illegal, means Cruelty to animals. There are suspicions afloat that the New York branch of the S. P.C. A. is false to its cclors. LATER Since the above wos written the S. P. C. A. has come out into the open. In its February Bulletin it endeavors, in a shamefaced way, to whitewash vivisection. In other words, a society organized for the prevention of cruelty of animals indorses the cruclest of all cruelties. It is, indeed, a Mephistopbelean joke on the memory of Henry Berg, who founded the society for very different pur- poses. But what a side-splitting joke on those who have given their money to this enterprise, in the belief that its object was the protection of helpless animals! Keeping Her Average “DQILKINS has made a success of his married life, hasn't “ YES'M WE'RE GOING TO GET MARRIED, "CAUSE WILLIE SAYS he?” IF WE DON'T HE'LL GO RIGHT FROM BAD TO WORSE, AND VERY “Yes, indeed. He has married a woman not only without LIKELY BE DRUNK MOST ALL THE TIME!” a past but without a future."* comicbooks.com