Life, 1911-06-22 · page 38 of 44
Life — June 22, 1911 — page 38: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertising** with some humorous content interspersed. The main satirical piece is "Munchausen Up to Date," a series of tall tales attributed to "B. M." (Baron Munchausen). The humor derives from the classic literary character famous for absurd, impossible lies. Each vignette follows the same pattern: the Baron makes an outlandish claim, the audience questions its logic, and he responds with circular reasoning or admits the impossibility—yet insists he's told the truth anyway. Examples include gluing fruit to trees, hippopotamuses boarding omnibuses, and people drinking whiskey who "don't exist." The piece satirizes the tendency of people to tell exaggerated stories and stubbornly defend them despite logical contradiction. Below this is "Like a Lady," a brief anecdote by Frederick Townsend Martin about an East Side girl attending an aristocratic garden party who asks shockingly direct questions about the hostess's husband's drinking and employment—implying working-class directness contrasts with upper-class evasiveness. The remainder consists of advertisements for Construction Bond stationery, a Junior Tattoo alarm clock, and Egyptian Deities cigarettes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
pISRIE: Before You Order Business Stationery learn about the advantages you'll secure by specifying that it bear the water-mark (Trade Mark Registered) CONSTRUCTION Best at \C the Price BOND Made in White and Six Colors With Envelopes to Match. This paper has not only the strength, crackle and character that give impressiveness to business sta- tionery, but its economical method of distribution has so reduced its cost that it produces Impressive Stationery at a Usable Price That method is this: Construction Bond is sold only direct to responsible printers and lithographers | in quantities of 500 Ibs. or more at a time, while other fine bonds are sold through jobbers, a ream or more at a time, to any printer who will buy them. The saving is obvious and it's your saving if you secure Construction Bond. We will tell you more about our sale plan and send you some handsome specimen letter-heads on Con- struction Bond, together with the name: of those printers and lithographers in your vicinity who handle it, if you'll just ask us on your business sta- tionery. W. E. Wroe & Co. por South Michigan) Boulevard, Chicago eee A DROP IN THE BUCKET (sHor) Munchausen Up to Date 1 “A man in China,” B. M. said, “A pigtail wears upon his head "— “And pigs?” asks auditor pro tem. “Wear nothing,” says the genial M. IL. “Once,” the Baron said, “ methinks T talked for hours with the Sphinx, “She cannot talk,” his hearers cry, “T know,” says he, “ but cannot I?" Mi. “T know some tribes beyond the seas— Their home's so hot it fricassees.” “How do they live?” the audience cries,— “ Away from home,” B. M. replies. IV. Munchausen said: “The Japanese Glue all the fruit upon the tre “Where does it grow?” the audience cries,— “On other trees,” DB. M. replies. Nic “The Hottentot,” Munchausen said, “On pickled antelope. is fed.” “Well?” the crowd, impatient, cries,— “Indeed he’s not,” B. M. replies. VI. “The Congo hippopotamus Would often mount an omnibus If"— in doubt the people stir— “He could,” remarks the raconteur, “T saw the Pole! “You didn't,” one and all declare. “T did,” he said, “close by my shi (The Pole was on a Southern trip.) Vu “On Googlum’s shore,” the Baron ried, “The people drink their whiskey fr “How can they ?—tell us!" all insist: “ Because,” says he, “they don’t exist ! T. Ybarra, in Harvard Lampoon. Like a Lady Frederick Townsend Martin was con- demning the spirit that animated too many “ slum" expeditions. “A little girl from the East Side,” he said, “was invited the other day to garden party given by a very aristocratic woman to a group of little East Siders. “The little girl, as she drank her tea and ate her plum cake on a velvet lawn under a white blooming cherry tree, said to her hostess: “*Does your husband érink?’ “Why—er—no, not to excess,’ was the astonished reply. “*How much does he make?’ “*He doesn't work,’ the hostess said. ‘He is a capitalist.’ “You keep out of debt, I hope?’ “* Of course, child. What on earth—— 1226 The Junior Tattoo The Alarm Clock of years ago was big and unwield: Te resembled a tin pan and had a fire alarm gong which startled the entire household. The Junior Tattoo is hardly larger than a watch. It is a gem in appearance. Its gentle but insistent alarm cheerily calls you and continues to do so every twenty seconds for five minutes, unless you turn the sileat switch, Price, $1.75 (1n Canada, duty extra). Sold by nearly all dealers If you canna buy oe coanenh ‘sei your dealer for » jeather case (red of black) $3. ‘The Uprisiog of Joha Ianceck—Salestmas,” Your color looks natural—I trust you don’t paint.’ “*Look here,’ the hostess exclaimed, ‘what do you mean by all these impu- dent questions?" “*Impudent?’ said the little girl ‘Why, ma’am, mother told me to be sure and behave like a lady, and when ladies call at our rooms they always question mother like that.’ —St. Louis Globe-Democrat LT Egyptian Deities ‘The Utmost in Ggerettes” Their quality was iculr to at tain but is easy to recognize... Cork Tips or Plain fapi com How Lie comicbooks.com