Life — August 4, 1910 — page 35: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Jokes with a Point niror OF LiFe: ax Six—While you are in the rocs of your anti-vivisection spasm, n't you take up the matter of crabs and lobsters?” actice of cooking them alive 1 indulged in since “ Adam was Don't you think it inhuman? Personally, I take your pictures on section as joke Very respectfully, R. H. Arxi Wasurneton, D, C. July 5, 1910. No Surprise Eprror oF Lire: May I call your attention to the in- closed item from the Public Ledger of tiladelphia of June 29, 1910? Jelen Scott, 11 years old, of 627 cdar Street, is believed to have con- cted lockjaw as the result of vac- n.” 1e of the bitterest experiences I we ever had was caused by the vac- cation of my wife and daughter. low long must we submit to this im- ence on the part of any young rt pill-vender who has a ten-dollar Yours truly, Pertey Du. ly 4. roto. A Wrong Righted N AbbRicH. New York City: ear Lire.—Knowing that your ef- is always to be fair and to give t where credit is due, an admirer s to help you to preserve this ple. In your recent * Booklover’s ber” you published a few verses ed “A Summer Girl,” and cred- em to Red and Black. The au- of those sprightly, lilting lines is Samuel Minturn Peck, an Alabama poet, and they appear in a little volume of verse by him entitled “Rings and Love-Knots.” . ALABAMIAN, Monite, Ava. July 5, 1910. For Beards Epitor oF Lire, New York, N. Y. Dear Sir—Allow me to congratulate you upon the instructive humor of your cartoon, “ The Lion of the Hour.” The lordly lion certainly looks like a chump when he is clean-shaven. To man, the head of creation, God also gave a beard as a mark of dignity. It is a protection in winter and summer to the throat, the eyes and the skin, a comfort, and to shave it or have it shaved is a great nuisance. It is cleaner to wear a beard than to be con- tinually shaved, despite the foolish con- tentions of the day. The dignified Generals Grant and Lee wore beards, and they were clean. Yesterday I saw on the streets here a squadron of Uncle Sam's cavalry. It was a goodly array of stalwart men, but their faces were shaven, save for an occasional stubble. If each man had a full beard he would be better equipped for exposure to heat or cold, and without the shaving utensils would be just so much lighter on the march. Besides, what a difference in appear- ance. If you wish to see what I mean have one of your vivid artists draw the picture of a cavalry troop, with all the men full-bearded, from the captain down, Sincerely, Scuppay RicHarpson. Saw Antonio, July 5, 1910. One Who Differs Tue Eprtors or Lire, New York. Gentlemen:—The writer has read with a good deal of interest the para- graph on page 915 of your issue of May 19, relative to the uses to which the soldiers of the regular army might be put outside of their established mil- itary duties. The writer of that para- graph appreciation of a growing evil in this country and a solution for that evil, which indicates to my mind that he has put more than a passing thought on the subject. The leness of the military branch of the overnment is a well-known and no- torious fact. Being a soldier myself I can say this with all the assurance of one with perfect inside informa- tion, A brief résumé of the duties at this post will bear out what I have said and will also substantiate the statements of the before-mentioned in- vestigator. Reveille is 6:00 a. m., breakfast at 7:00; company or battalion drill from 8:00 till 9:00. All those men not on duty as provost sergeant, clerks at headquarters, clerks at the quartermaster’s or commissary’s of- fices, telephone operators, old guard fatigue, teamsters in the corral, painters or carpenters, then have calis- thenics from 9:15 to 0:45. After that all those not detailed for new guard, room orderlies, kitchen police, ete., drill at the sub-target gun, pointing and aiming drill, and gallery practice for from a half to an hour longer. At this last drill there are generally left from six to eight men out of a com- pany of sixty-five. From 11:00 o'clock on these six or eight men are actually idle, cleaning their equipment, draw- ing rations, attending school, etc., un- til 5:20 in the afternoon, when a pa- rade, which ajl men must attend, is held. A word about this parade. It is a relic of ancient days pure and simple; a survival of that desire for fuss and feathers, for the glory and paroply of war, that seems born in shows his (Continued on page 205) comicbooks.com