Life, 1912-09-26 · page 21 of 48
Life — September 26, 1912 — page 21: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes the stock market and American social anxieties of the Gilded Age through absurdist financial allegory. **"Bulls and Bears"** mockingly describes market speculation through personified "trusts" (monopolistic corporations) as competing political factions—Steel Trust, Beef Trust, Tobacco Trust, Oil Trusts, Money Trust, Railroad Trust, Coal Trust—each scheming for dominance like candidates. The joke: the stock market operates on pure gossip and irrational sentiment (European nobility arriving causes excitement), not fundamentals. **The cartoons** reinforce this chaos: "By Divine Right" shows a top-hatted figure kicking a prone businessman—depicting arbitrary market forces. "No Divorce" depicts marriage as permanent entanglement, paralleling how investors become trapped in market positions. **Social context**: The text mocks wealthy Americans' obsession with marrying European aristocracy and ridicules the era's unchecked corporate power, where trusts manipulated prices and political outcomes. The "high cost of royalty" jab suggests contempt for this social climbing during an era of growing anti-trust sentiment.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Bulls and Bears HERE was a considerable movement in Am. Heiresses Preferred at the opening Monday. This was duc to cable news that the Duke of Cannot and the Baron Old- fossil had sailed for this country on the mammoth ocean liner Danger. It is believed by the brokers that if the Duke and Baron reach here alive the market will be good in spite of the recent agitation against the high cost of royalty. It is now admitted that the price of royalty is still above par and, therefore, subject to recessions, but in many quarters it is still considered a good buy. Upon the arrival of the Danger prices are expected to bow and scrape, salute and salaam, curtsy and genuflect. On Tuesday the market took on a decided political aspect. Upon reports that the Steel Trust would not sup- port the Harvester Trust at the coming election, the Beef Trust got mad and threatened to swear off smoking in order to get even with the Tobacco Trust. Prices of smoked meats immediately went up. At this moment all the little Oil Trusts came flocking in and demanded that they be seated as delegates. Prices cheered for cighty- seven minutes without taking a breath. Pandemonium reigned, turning to hail. When everything seemed to be running smoothly the Money Trust withdrew and announced that it would form a fifth party if there was yet time; if not, then a sixth or seventh, as the case may be. This added to the complica- tions and the Railroad Trust started to raise rates, but the Coal Trust got there first. Prices plainly showed the effect of the suspense. They looked wan and haggard and had dark circles under their eyes. This brought the brokers to their senses and for the next hour everybody tried to make money without regard to what might happen to the country in the meantime. Prices recuperated and were still con- valescent at closing time. Wednesday dawned and found the political situation much clarified. The Steel Trust decided that it would be elected and agreed to appoint the Oil Trusts to its cabinet and, if there were any left over, to put them in the Senate. BY DIVINE RIGHT 1857 NO DIVORCE “WE TIE KNOTS, RUT NEVER UNTIE THEM ” “What could be fairer than that?” was asked. reply prices fluttered. As the tape that came from the ticker on Thursday and Friday looked very much like the tape that came from the ticker on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, there is noth- ing to report except the usual fluctuations and vaguitiss. On Saturday the bank statement was trotted out and put through its customary paces. It seemed to be a little spavined in its off hind fetlock. By way of NEWS ITEM THE HAPPY EVENT CAME OFF WITHOUT A HITCH comicbooks.com