Life, 1911-11-09 · page 28 of 44
Life — November 9, 1911 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains **reader correspondence** rather than political cartoons. The editors print three letters responding to Life's recent "Boston number" — apparently a satirical issue mocking Boston. **The letters reveal:** - Readers appreciated Life's collection of Boston jokes, requesting the winning title be published alongside rejected submissions - One correspondent expresses mild annoyance that Boston keeps "bothering" Life, though acknowledges New York's own absurdities (skyscrapers, Wall Street excess) - Another praises the Boston issue as historically valuable, comparing it to important historical documents, while quibbling that "Certified Mills Street" uses anachronistic language **The cartoon** (captioned "From a Reader") shows a figure outside a building asking "I buy Life. Why don't you put me in?" — a meta-joke about readers wanting their letters published in the magazine's limited space. **The right column** is a "Rhymed Review" of Gene Stratton-Porter's novel *The Harvester*, summarizing its plot in verse about a rural herbalist who finds love. The page primarily documents early 1900s reader engagement with Life's satirical content about Boston rivalry with New York.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
We .re Constantly in Receipt of Important Letters Which Ire Too Long for Our Limited Space. Brevity is Absolutely Essential to Publication Our Intention fo tHe Epitow or Lars Dear Sir.—-Some of here have requested me to write and ask if it would be possible for your paper to publish at some subsequent date the fifty-four titles, or some portion of them, from which the winning title to your last picture was selected. This would be extremely interesting to all whe offered a title, and we thought it might be done on one page of your paper. your readers 0 you Very truly yours, Jos. B. Savxpres Satest, Mass., October 20, 1 We are going to do this next Epttox. A Suspicious Friend Epirox or Lire Dear —I see that Boston is again Lothering Lire. Boston is a very irri- ing place, but it is, of course, poor policy to get openly angry at it. New York feels, one may presume, that sky= Wall Street, piles of dollars, an unequalled multitude of exalted clerks, tourist-bewildcring trafiic, nor yet nake pride complete. When one Kkyscrapers all the scrapers, even Lire, are quite all to and superiority lives in and time, of course it is difficult not to be- lieve that everything is skyscraper: New York is a glorious assembly of noise, but quiet is more assured of it- self and hence doubly irritat \ place to work in and to worl the work in is not always a place to fit in. Lire’s wit is good, keenly satirical suspect it. life-like in general, but w Yours truly, Tous Saxp Bouter, Coro., October 17, 1o8t Appreciation of a Masterpiece To tac Eptrox or Lire Permit me to congratulate you on your Boston number. You cannot be 100 highly commended for collecting the Boston when earlier jokes they were in danger of passing from 1's aninds, and presenting them in a form in which they can be used tor the instruction of the young, and preserved for the benefit of posterity. In this age of feverish pursuit of new things, you display the true spirit of the antiquarian hy your work in this Boston number. The hypereritical might consider the somewhat modern phrase, “ Certified Mills Street,” in the double page draw- ing, an anachronism. Such a small de parture from your plan looked by anyone who considers the number as a whole. as had no rival in public interest in Boston since the appearance of the memorial edition (irom the original manuscript) of Bradford’s History of the Plymouth Plantation. Wrsrieto M, Tuostrsox Wauax, Mass., October 24, 1911. st be over- FROM A READER “yey Life. way pox’r you ME IN? Rhymed Reviews The Harvester (Ry Gene Stratton-Porter. Page & Company.) Double Me cultivated things for drugs To fill apothecaries’ orders Among the blossoms, birds and bugs Of Indiana forest borders ; Preserving health and peace of mind, The Harvester collected simples And herbs, aloof from womankind With false, alluring smiles and dim- ples. Till one fair night, when, wide-awake He sat and thought that Love had missed him Across the ripplin: A lovely Vision came and kissed him! moonlit lake And while > Dream G To let a Harvester a He guessed she dwelt in mortal clay And built a home and waited for her 1 cannot stay fore her, He found her, persecuted, poor And ill and acting very queerly ; He married her, devoutly sure at he could make her dearly. love hin| He knew the way fo woo a wife! He cooked the meals, he talked hours On Ginseng Roots, the Simple Life And Who Is Which Flowers. Among He saved her from an early tomb; Next, though his very soul was riv He offered her to one to whom He wrongly thought her h given, That failed to make her bosom yearn, And so he sent off yonder To Philadelphi If Absence Makes the Fonder Heart Grow Tt did. She loved. In pleasant whistle, Are growing Mullein, Catnip, Rue, Lobelia, Sage and Blesséd Thistle. The happy Two, woods where bluchirds Her sweet, idyllic plot and style Would scarce be harmed if Mrs. Porter Should close And cut her Botany awhile he lectures somewhat sho Irthur Guitermon comicbooks.com