Life, 1912-04-18 · page 44 of 54
Life — April 18, 1912 — page 44: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page features an advertisement for the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) dressed as historical editorial content. The main image shows the Pony Express—the famous 1860s mail service that carried messages across the American West on horseback—which the text describes as delivering mail in 7.5 days. The advertisement's message: **telephone and telegraph have replaced the Pony Express**, delivering messages faster and more reliably across the same western territories. The copy celebrates how Bell System phones now connect isolated ranches, mines, and villages, making remote settlers "constantly informed citizens." This is corporate mythology-building—presenting AT&T's infrastructure as a natural evolution of American frontier progress. The Pony Express image evokes nostalgia and pioneering spirit, while the text argues that telecommunications represent the next chapter of westward expansion and national connection. The page also contains unrelated period advertisements (Lee Tires, All Metal Garage) and text fragments about hotel visits—typical of Life magazine's mixed editorial/advertising format.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE Hall, I also enjoyed visiting the Old South Church and Young’ other Revolutionary relics. It's marvelous to what perfection the modern city hotel has come. ; raine is beautiful! Every deta out so perfectly—even to an clect aratus for he ig curling irons, When I stopped there and found I could heat my curling irons without standing on a chair and holdi in the gas, I felt that life had nothing more to offer, But after all, I do not believe they are necded, for when the guest learns the price of his room it will make his hair curl without artificial aid. The last time I was here Twas greatly impressed by the gorgeous coats-of-arms or crests which your hotel men all sport on y nery. Somehow broiled scrod or liver and hacon taste more aris- The Pony Express A Pioneer of the Bell System IFTY years ago the Pony Express became the most efficient messenger service ever known. Pony riders carried messages from Missouri to California, nearly two thou- sand miles across mountains and des- erts, through blizzards and sand storms, constantly in danger of attack by hostile Indians. Fresh horses were supplied at short intervals, and the messages, relayed from rider to rider, were delivered in the record-breaking time of seven and one-half days. Railroad and telegraph took the place AMERICAN TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH COMPANY AND ASSOCIATED COMPANIES One System One Policy Me curve rn of the Pony Express, carrying messages across this western territory. Today the telephone lines of the Bell System have done more, for they have bound together ranch and mine and camp and village. This network of telephone lines, following the trails of the Indians, con- nects with the telegraph to carry mes- sages throughout the world. By means of Universal Bell Service the most remote settler is no longer isolated, but has become a constantly informed citizen of the American Com- monwealth. 836 ever before made sucl. under hard service, as have Puncture - Proof Pneumatic Tires terials combine to gives plained by Booklet M. Write OUR STORES | ie Woodward Ave. be aa Universal Service | tocratic and “ recherché” wh a fine crest glittering on the bi I went home determined to im -of-arms, and consulted a ¢ Ary at once. The boss a we had a coat-of-arms i was forced to confess th gled along as best we He asked done anything in particul him we had never been nything for wh an alibi, Finall A crest, consisting of a shield w surmou wheat cake havis required to pay ir Remarks,” by Copyright, 1903, Doubleday corrugated, rust-res THE GORDON PORTABLE