Life, 1911-01-05 · page 25 of 104
Life — January 5, 1911 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1910-era Life magazine page mocks the social disruption caused by automobiles and reckless wealthy drivers ("Goggled Magnate," "Plutocrats"). **The satire:** The poem, credited to Ethel Walker, presents automobile drivers as menacing forces destroying traditional horse-and-carriage culture. It depicts wealthy motorists as arrogant, lawless "Great Chauffeurs" who terrify ordinary people and their horses with "honk-honks" and "exploding tires." **Key references:** The illustration labeled "An Old Offender—He Never Stops for Law or Cops" shows a speeding 1910 vehicle evading police, embodying the complaint that rich drivers ignored traffic laws with impunity. **The point:** This reflects genuine Progressive-Era anxiety about automobiles—their danger, noise, and the perception that wealthy owners drove recklessly while ordinary citizens suffered. The poem's ironic plea for mercy satirizes class inequality and the automobile's disruptive social impact.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
SO OE Bers AN OLD OFFENDER ER STOPS FOR LAW OR COPS Concessional UARD of the Motor, Great Chauffeur, Master of every road and way, Who renders useless curb and spur And drives to madness roan and bay, Oh, Goggled Magnate, spare us yet, Lest we upset, lest we upset ! The tumult and the “ honk-honk ” dies, The Plutocrats and Snobs depart, And little heed the sacrifice Of one-time-honored horse and cart. « And round the curve Another yet, Lest up we get, lest up we get. Horn-warned, our courage melts away, Within our cowed hearts sink the fires, Our horsemanship of yesterday Is vanquished by exploding tires. Oh, Skilled Mechanic, spare us yet, Lest we upset, lest we upset ! If cheered by vistas clear we loose Wild Tongues that have not Thee in awe, Such boasting as Equestrians use Who cannot speed beyond the law, Relentless Driver, spare ws y Lest we upset, lest we upset ! On simple hearts that put their trust In tireless steeds and brake cars lig And, valiant, brave the fumes and dust To learn that only might makes right, On these poor, harmless amateurs Have mercy, oh, Ye Great Chauffeurs! Ethel Wetter. comicbooks.com