Life, 1911-07-20 · page 29 of 40
Life — July 20, 1911 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical piece mocks financial brokers and stock market speculation during a market crash. The text humorously describes brokers witnessing inexplicable market movements—comparing the phenomenon to spiritualist medium Eusapia Palladino and invoking occultism to explain stock behavior rather than admitting to manipulation or fraud. The joke: brokers attribute market fluctuations to supernatural forces instead of acknowledging their own speculative schemes. References to spiritualist Dr. Hyslop and Edison's followers suggest brokers are intellectually desperate and absurd. The "Contrast" section mocks promoters who profitably pump worthless stock ("water") into gullible investors, but lose nerve when sophisticated investors demand refunds—reversing the scheme. The illustrations show urban financial chaos above and rural calm below, contrasting city greed with country virtue—a common Progressive Era theme critiquing Wall Street excess.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
L—THE (BULLS == BEARS) Financial. complete! week NOISE writers (including the writer hereof) were y bafiled by the It began on Monday, shortly after the opening tion of the stock market last At first nothing could be seen except signs of impending disast Absolutely no tangibilities could be observed. The brokers, anxious beyond sure, were huddled in little breathless knots in various parts of the enclosure, not daring even to match pennies. Suddenly the market was seen to leave its place and rise gradually, For severa Then a few of the more courageous advanced for a closer examination. All they could was the phenomenon itself. There was no visible support, no wires, strings, hawsers, sus- penders or other ordinary paraphernalia to account for the levit The name of Eusapia Pallidino simultaneously sprang to the lips of several of the brokers. Accordingly Dr. Hyslop was summoned. While he looked at ity the market went down as gently as it had ascended, Then they tied it firmly and grasped both its hands, but it still fluctuated. Dr. Hyslop was greatly interested and ventured the suggestion that it was a manifestation of materialized subconscious hysteria me seconds all was silence. see, however, ion, 2—THe QUIET OF THE or THe city superinduced by hyperanesthesia above the bread line. One of the brokers who has traveled much in Egypt was not isfied with this explanation, He asserted that it was related to the Riddle of the Sphinx, Still another said it was more like the well-known Bamboo-chic-chic of India, But all were agreed that Wall Street was so intimately related to a future life that such phenomena could be explained only on religious grounds. Partisans of Thomas A. Edison took issue with this. The argument grew so heated that the took on something of its pristine aspect, but with the impor- tant qualification that not a share of stock changed hands. ‘This situation was well maintained till Saturday, when a two- lollar broker received an order from the interior for an odd lot. The Board of Governors were so clated at this that t cecided to close on time and to open until Mond Stock Exchange morning Contrast is casy enough to be pleasant when you are pumping vast ing it in carload lots to a gullible public, But the man worth while is the man who can smile, When the public becomes sophisticated and not only fuses to buy more water, but insists on reversing the pumps. treams of water into the stock of a corporation and sell- re- COUNTRY comicbooks.com