Life, 1912-08-08 · page 39 of 40
Life — August 8, 1912 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This short humorous story illustrates a practical conflict between religious conviction and economic self-interest in early 20th-century America. **The Setup:** Two brothers run a coal retail business in a Kansas town. The elder brother undergoes religious conversion at a revival meeting and pressures his younger brother to join the church. **The Joke:** When asked why he won't convert, the younger brother poses a pointed question: if he joins the church, "who'll weigh the coal?"—implying his brother will become too honest or morally scrupulous to cheat customers on coal weights, damaging their business profits. **The Satire:** The piece mocks the gap between professed Christian morality and actual commercial practice. It suggests that genuine Christian ethics (honesty, fair dealing) are incompatible with profitable retail business—a cutting commentary on American business ethics and the performative nature of some religious conversion during the period.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
-LIFE+ In the Cross-road Corners of Chaosville, Couldn't Both Be Christians in the county of Hideandgoseck, In na Kansas town where two brothers. On the thiny-sccond day of the thir 7 z are engaged in the retail coal business a tecnth month of the cighth day of K ‘i ; y revival was recently held and the elder | ANG WEG, . of the brothers was converted. For We shall do all the things that we pleas: rag i { aah Ka weeks he tried to persuade his brother | eee nthe church, One day he asked we try “Why can't you join the church like I did? On the sar ul f —From “Sen of the ¢ by S. W. Foss. Reprinted by per- hy the beaut f x it “I's a fine thing for you to belong to replied the her nthe church who'll weigh the ‘ore Forecast Weather diathevp, Lee GS Shepard’ Cae coal? "—Kansoa City Stor ate Like An Expert “but You can do it with an S&M less “Tycos™ Recording Barometer | hem (Barograph) in your home. |} Know 7 advance, of storms, | fair weather, rain—and let }| your guests and friends know. | OM Feeog? RECORDING S&M “Tycos’ WAROMETERS xood . (Barogeaphs) | are the highest type of weather instruments, |" | No, 2305" (illustrated) writes an hour-by- he eather record in ink a weekly chart. Inhandsome mahogany case, $63.00. | The BAROMETER BOOK—FREE < Instrument Dealers. Hf your RT A MASON, Ltd, LON: efsuf Scieutife Instruments to the itish, Japanese and other Govern Division of Qylor /nstrument Compames 63 Ames Street Rochester, N. Y. Where Tycos? Thermometers Come Fron” The Eighth Day cf the Week On the thirty-second day of the thir teenth month of the cighth day of the week, } At the twemy-fifth hour and the sixty | first minute, we'll find all things } that we seek They are there in the limbo of Lolipop land, Ad island resting in air, On thy of the Moumain of in the Valley of Overthere On the Nowhere side of the Mountain of Mist, in the Valley of Overthere. set On a solid vapor foundation of cloud are palaces grand and fair ssoateete And there is where our dream Irne, will come nd the sceds of our Hope row Gn the thitherward side of the Hills of Hope, in the Hauler of Hocus Po eteatoetectecee HERE'S a delicious “smack” to Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer On the thitherward side of the Hills of Hope, in the Hamlet of Hocus Po that lends keenest enjoyment to the most modest or We sal see a the things tha we want sumptuous lunch. The sparkle is contagious. No other igo beverage compares in zest or flavor. - 4 Tey there eco memivill ney lament ‘ Bottled only at the brewery in crystal clear bottles, - Tnthe-Crosssrnad Corners of Chanscille showing at a glance that it is clear and pure. : Ki | in the commty of Hideandgescek Served in Leading Hotels and Cafes—Supplied by best dealers everywhere THE WILLIAMS PRINTING COMPANY. NEW YORK comicbooks.com