Life, 1910-05-05 · page 28 of 72
Life — May 5, 1910 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page celebrates three notable Americans sharing a May 6 birthday: poet Frank Dempster Sherman, Secretary of State Philander Chase Knox, and Arctic explorer Robert E. Peary. The "Popular Birthdays" feature offers mock-serious tributes with gentle satire. Sherman receives praise as an accomplished poet and educator. Knox, a Pittsburgh financier-turned-politician, gets cautious endorsement—the text acknowledges he's faced criticism but argues Republican statesmanship shouldn't be undermined by party loyalty. Peary, famous for North Pole expeditions and subsequent lecture tours, is gently mocked for over-publicizing his achievements ("Need we say more? Hasn't enough been said already?"). The right-side cartoon depicts a figure (unclear who, possibly representing colonial expansion or conquest) perched atop a tree stump labeled with what appears to be territorial conquest, captioned "If we must kill things, would not this be the more humane?"—likely satirizing imperialist ambitions. The brief "Rivals" dialogue mocks insincere civility between romantic competitors.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A Tourist’s Version ID churches and palaces Tho’ we may roam,”’ For custom-house terrors There's no place like home (0? (ATHOAYS HERE'S HOW FRANK DEMPSTER SHERMAN Born May 6, 1860 Readers of Lire and many other periodicals have long de lighted in Professor Sherman’s work. Besides being a true ss poet of unexampled facility in the technique of his art, it. may not be known that as an educator he is in the very first rank.. His perfect verse indicates the supreme mathe- matical quality of his gifted mind We are delighted, Mr. Sherman, to present you with this brief typographical testimony of our high regard. May your muse continue to edify us. May you re- main ever one of our most delightful poets PHILANDER CHASE KNOX Bom May 6, 1853 Pittsburg has occasionally a man of talent who is not a master of high finance. Among these Secretary Knox is in the first rank. The present administration : has come to lean upon him, and he has been subjected to much adverse criticism Nevertheless, we believe that Mr. Knox is a good man. To be under the lee of a Republican administration and to be also a Republican may be a serious handicap to the most honorable statesmanship May you, sir, rise above these “.andicaps and prove that the interests of ore § country are greater than party. Here's your good health ROBERT E. PEARY Born May 6, 1856 Hundred of lecture platforms, and the responsibility of dis- covering one North Pole, testify, sir, to your unexampled greatness—not ‘to ‘mention innumerable magazine articles. Need we say more? Hasn't enough been said already? We congratulate you upon your birthday. If it had not been for this important event our imaginations would still have one more place upon the map to work upon May a comfortable obscurity aw and may you enjoy it in peace anc perity for many years to come Rivals HE: John is a very considerate sort of fellow, isn't he? He (the rival): Ob, yes, very. He has that keen tact and loving sympathy which a chauffeur displays toward a help. less cripple HE depths of a woman's eyes n become the height of a man’s ambition Troyesliva tS Ie We MUST KILL THINGS, WOULD NOT THIS BE THE HUMANE? Most comicbooks.com