Life, 1912-07-04 · page 25 of 44
Life — July 4, 1912 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**The Cartoon:** "Summer Proposal in New Jersey" depicts a young couple by a riverside—a romantic scene rendered in sketch style. **The Satire:** The page juxtaposes this innocent romantic image with the accompanying poem "Reminiscences" by Carolyn Wells, which provides bitter social commentary. The poem nostalgically recalls 19th-century Fourth of July celebrations where parents recklessly gave children fireworks and explosives ("cannons, pistols, and bombs"), resulting in injuries and deaths—children burned, blinded, and killed. **The Point:** The poem contrasts this tragic past with modern "safe and sane" celebrations, celebrating reform. However, the pairing with the romantic cartoon creates irony: while the poem celebrates progress in child safety, the juxtaposition suggests sentimentality about dangerous practices. The contrast between the innocent lovers and the dark recollection underscores how recent and hard-won these safety reforms were. **Secondary Content:** The page also attacks railroad executive H.J. Sliffer for suggesting railroads should prioritize passenger safety—Life's editors sarcastically condemn him as dangerous for advocating consumer protection.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Mission of Victoria Wilhelmina by Jeanne Bartholow Magoun, The diary of a“ wife in the sight of God.” A little story with a grip to it. My Actor Husband, anonymous. A mass of unsavory detail that would be all sufficient for a decree, but scarcely con- stitutes a sound basis of generalization. The Old Nest, by Rupert Hughes. A picture of two old folks at home in- tended to prick the consciences of busy young folks abroad. The Sentence of Wright Kauffman, nce, by Regina Sce preceding pa Nd A Son of the Sun, by Jack London. Stories of adventure’ in the Pacific, in which a single hero is scen in many roles. The Story of a Ploughboy, by James Bryce. A vivid word picture of Scottish rural life, with the emphasis laid upon the defects of the present social system, Thousand-Dollar Arm, by Va More inshoot uthor of “ The Unclothed, by Daniel Carson Goodman. tale for the “ tough-minded,” in wh participants in a bohemian courtship sect down their impressions of its prog- ress. SUMMER PROPOSAL IN NEW JERSEY Reminiscences IBER, I remember, urth we used to know ; When Willie burnt his finger, And Johnny shot his toe. When cannon crackers were set off By little hands, unskilled When Mamie had an cye put out, And baby Ted was killed T remember, I remember, Although it wrings my heart, How fathers let their children shoot, And thought it rather smart. How cannons, pistols, ind bombs,— Whatever made a noise— Were freely, willingly bestowed, On little girls and boys. suns I remember, I remember, The saddened hearts next day; When some were in the hospitals And some were laid away. When many a loving father Wept with his sobbing wife, To sce their well-loved little ones med and deformed for life. Bie f AN But now, all that is over, Our Fourths are safe and sane; Those terrible conditions Shall never come again. ve banished all such dangers, We've learned a better way, To glorify and celebrate Our Independence Day! Carolyn Wells, A Traitor H's“ J. SLIFFER, general man- ager of the Chicago and Great Western Railroad, is evidently a crank, and one who ought to be promptly suppressed. In a recent statement he declares : “Tt is clearly up to the railroad company to sce that he (the pa senger) gets that for which he pays. We suggest that Mr. Sliffer be hauled up before the Railroad Com- mission and thoroughly investigated. The idea of suggesting that the rail- roads of this country are run in the i s of the people ought to cost Mr. Sliffer his job. comicbooks.com