Life, 1911-09-07 · page 37 of 44
Life — September 7, 1911 — page 37: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several distinct pieces of period satire and advertising: **"The Relative Importance of Individuals"** is a anecdote mocking pretension. Senator Ogle criticizes a fellow legislator for using lowercase "i" in a letter to President Andrew Jackson, suggesting proper grammar demands capitals. Ogle responds that he deliberately uses small letters to show humility before such a great man—but would use enormous letters when writing to this "little snipe," inverting social hierarchy through typography. The joke satirizes both excessive deference to authority and the pomposity of grammatical pedantry. **The remaining content** consists primarily of period advertisements (Swan Safety Fountain Pens, French's Whitire auto tire paint, Budweiser beer) and a brief anecdote about bishops' nervousness around literature. The page reflects early-20th-century American satirical humor emphasizing social class distinctions, pretension, and the relative importance of individuals in society.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“SWAN SAFETY FOUNTPENS Are built on scientific principles which givethem superiority over allother fountain pens. The Canbe feed is constructed on carried nature's law, the ink in pocket, being supplied on both hand bag, sides of the 14 Kt. purse or valise, Gold Iridium- without any fear i i Made in plain or scroll vulcanite, sterling silver, gold filled or solid gold. Atoll stattoners and Jewelers, price $2.50 and up. Write for Utustrated price tst. MABIE, TODD & CO., 37 Maiden Lane, soy S. State St., New York, ‘Chicago, Torosto, Loodon, Paris and Brussels, The Relative Importance of Individuals Senator Ogle, a member of the Penn- sylvania Assembly, had been deputed to compose an address to the newly elected President, Andrew Jackson. When the bluff old warrior submitted his document to the House, a fellow member, a dap- per little fellow from Philadelphia, ob- served : “Pardon me, General, I hesitate about making any suggestion to so distin- guished an individual; but I cannot re- frain from saying that it is customary with cultured letter writers to write the first personal pronoun with a capital ‘I’ instead of a small i.” General Ogle returned a look of scorn. “ Sir,” said he, “ when I write to so great a man as Gen. Andrew Jackson, Demo- cratic President of the United States, I abase myself. I abase myself, sir. 1 use as small an ‘i’ as I can put upon paper. But, sir, if ever I should have to write toa little snipe like you I would use an ‘I. sir, that would fill two pages of foolscap.” Helps the wear of AUTO TIRES; makes themlook new, too. Abroad, everybody is using water paint—here they are using French’s London White “Whitire” (Trade Mark) * 8 wonderful preserver, Discrim: ng Amer Fe strong for it = by and ea « y 0 an r_ mt for § months, $1.00. lal Trial Can A \ ah for A tives 25¢ ON otter te Mentted, “eS. ) ’ yon! The Heights at the Top are always commanded by those who produce the best. Over fifty years of continued Quality and Purity made «‘The Old Reliable’? | Budweiser the unchallenged King of All Bottled Beers. Its world-wide reputation is due to its thorough ageing, mildness and exquisite taste which helped to win its Popularity Everywhere. Bottled only (with corks or crown caps) at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery Inquest—Not Extraordinary Great Bulwer's works fell on Miss Bas- bleu's head, And, in nent, lo! the maid was dead! A jury sat and found the verdict plain She died of mile and weter on the brain. Wen t one the Church of England than they are they were high and mighty ray felt that they ought not + in the 4 owith oh kind of manner. Sydney Smith said that when he sat beside a bishop at dinner he was so nervous that he crumbled bread with one hand, and that when he sat be an archbishop he did so with both hands, And yet these lordly apostles, says the Rev, BE. J Hardy, could be won over by wit. One of them spoke of or should be fordahip will gt comicbooks.com