Life, 1912-06-27 · page 37 of 45
Life — June 27, 1912 — page 37: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Life magazine page (circa early 1900s) contains three main elements: **"The New" Journalism** poem (center-left): A satirical critique of sensationalist journalism and "muckraking." The poem mocks newspapers that prioritize exposing scandal, immorality, and sewage-like content for public consumption—treating salacious news as "food for souls." This reflects progressive-era anxieties about yellow journalism and tabloid excess. **"Ready Wit" anecdotes** (top-right): Brief humorous stories featuring railroad executives, including one about a Southern Black servant greeting an old acquaintance. The humor depends on dialect and social conventions of the era. **Advertisements** (left and bottom): Ingram's Milkweed Cream (skin care) and Budweiser beer dominate the page, typical of Life's revenue model. The page is primarily commercial rather than political commentary, though the journalism poem offers social critique about media ethics and sensationalism—concerns that remain relevant today.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“There is Beauty in Every Jar’’ Ready Wit standing—as a matter of fact, she hal been an old family servant. When she They say—and it isn't a new story in bad’ passed’ ‘on Underwood ,, wall. 40 railroad circles—that the president of Trues AKE Milkweed the = ic, yi 2 vermece: and me “Who is that old lady?” < : president of the Lackawanna, W. H. “Why,” said Truesdale, “tha Cream on your Truesdale, were walking down Broadway Phoibe Snes ahiar’a up on ihe Eete Summer outings. one day when an elderly ma oné of —Erening Post 8 the real old Southern type, as black as It gives the skinsoft- black could be, rushed up to Truesdale and greeted him as an old friend. He ness, whitens it and fae as ‘ i : Z returned the greeting in kind, showing increasesits resisting || that they were indeed friends of long power, making the face less susceptible tochangesin weather. “Begin at the bottom and work up, atrick; that is the only way.” “It can't be done in my business. I'm a well-digger.” Joply Milkweed Cream gent!y—with ing—twice day. Tt gives your skin power to resist flabbiness, etises of time. It protects against rough winds, red- les, freckles and sunburn. Price, 50 cents and $1.00. Preserves Good Complexions— Improves Bad Complesions A PERSONAL TEST: a8 prove to you the value of Ingram's Tollet 8} The “New” Journalism Ply your muck-rakes, thrust them in To the fetid bogs of sin; Lift them dripping with the slime Of the eesspools of our time; Scarch through every social sewer, Search for all that’s most impure, Hunt for every deed of shame, And for decds without a name; Let the cager public see All our moral leprosy. For it is our daily stint, The unprintable to print; ‘Tis the glory of our clique, The unspeakable to spe Ran we through our printing-press Myriad miles of nastiness; e Smear with slime its league-long rolls— SS Food, my masters; food for souls. Pour we through our printing-press, Tons of moral putridness ; Let it through the land be spread, Let the people all be fed. Ply your muck-rakes with all haste, Lest some filth shall run to waste; Rake out every carrion shape, Let no noisome thing escape ; Heave it from your sewers vast, We will scatter it broadcast. This is stuff supremely good, For our hungry children’s food. Let the printing press be whirled, Smear this sewage o'er the world; Let not your supply grow less, Dump it through our printing-press ; Smear again its league-long rolls— , my masters; food for souls. rom “ Songs of the Average Man,” by 3 Foss.” Reprinted by permission of the fublusters, Messrs, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard The only Bottled Beer in constant demand on Land and Sea, on all Buffet and Dinin Cars, at Hotels, Clubs, Cafes and Homes. Bottled only at the Home Plant in St. Louis Anheuser-Busch Brewery St. Louis, Mo. comicbooks.com