Life, 1911-10-05 · page 17 of 50
Life — October 5, 1911 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces critiquing American business and political figures: **"Can Anyone Answer?"** mocks Judge E.H. Gary's rhetorical question about producers mistreating customers. Life's response is scathing: the Coal Trust has been abusing customers for years without facing bankruptcy, suggesting that monopolies can exploit people indefinitely. The follow-up "Popularity" section extends this, noting that cornering essential supplies (meat, oil) is as effective as building a better mousetrap—a biting inversion of Emerson's optimistic philosophy. **"Mr. Mellen and Senator Bailey"** sarcastically celebrates railroad executive Charles Mellen's and Senator Joseph Bailey's premature "obituaries" in newspapers after their announced resignations. Life jokes they've been "resurrected" by denying the reports. The piece implies their public reputations were so damaged that newspapers eagerly published retrospectives on their careers—treating them as already finished figures. **"Suffragettes' Bargain Day"** (bottom cartoon) appears to depict a crowded shopping scene, likely satirizing suffragette activism through consumer culture imagery, though the specific reference is unclear without additional context.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
NOT YET, BUT SOON (PATENT APPLIED FOR) Can Anyone Answer? Suppose _a producer of any commodity for sale should in any way within his power ill-treat all his customers. How long would it be before the producer would be in bankruptcy ? —Judge E. H. Gary. W frankly admit our inability to answer this ques- tion. The Coal Trust, for instance, has been at it for some time without notable diminution of credit rat- ing. It has been estimated that the coal supply would fail in about fifty years. Perhaps that will give the judge a clue to the information he seeks. Popularity ‘I a man,” says Emerson, “can write a better book, preach a better sermon, or make a better mouse trap than his neighbor, though he build his house in the woods, the world will make a beaten track to his door.” So also if a man can corner the meat supply or the oil supply or any other of the necessities of life. 565 Mr. Mellen and Senator Bailey E congratulate President Mellen of the New Haven Railroad on the almost complete collection of news- paper obituaries which he must hs acquired as a consequence of the re cent report of his resignation. His picture has been in all the papers here- abouts and we have all read the rec- ord of his business life, and critical estimates: of his qualities and of the value or expense of his services to the New Haven road. One day we parted with him, some with regret, others with satisfaction, many more with mixed feelings. The next day he de- nied the report and we had him back again. Mr. Mellen must now regard him- self as a resurrected man. We be- speak for him the enjoyment of all the equities and benefits that properly ac- crue to that condition, Senator Bailey's obituaries, which followed his announcement of his de- termination not to run again for the Senate, are still good up to the time of this writing. He has not yet re- called the resolve that invited them. The collection is very large and of a high degree of candor, and may yet irritate Mr, Bailey into a resolution to live down his past and make a new fight for office. A slight indication that the sight of himself as others sce him may have this result, is the report that he will practice law, not in New York, as first expected, but in Fort Worth, Texas OY rides go before a fall and a haughty chauffeur before destruc- tion. SUPFRAGETTES’ BARGAIN DAY comicbooks.com