Life, 1912-11-21 · page 14 of 44
Life — November 21, 1912 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This cartoon depicts a financial dispute between a doctor and patient. The doctor demands payment for an "itemized bill," while the patient protests. The joke's caption reads: "Do you expect me to pay an unitemized bill like this?" / "You expect me to pay yours, don't you?" The satire targets the medical profession's perceived hypocrisy regarding billing transparency. The doctor demands itemized bills from others but provides vague invoices to patients. This reflects early 20th-century frustration with unclear medical costs and professional double standards. The accompanying article celebrates Cook and Peary's presidential campaign victory, suggesting this Life issue addresses both political triumph and everyday consumer grievances—typical of the magazine's satirical approach to American life.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
2238 Letters to Well-known People EAR DOCTOR: 1 enclose herewith check for one thousand (on ac- count) for plumbing work and interior decoration done by you on my person six weeks ago—also for moving my vermiform appendix from my lumbar region to my mantel- piece. I will remit the rest as soon as I am strong cnough to operate in Wall Street. I feel as though I ought to know you better. Since I saw you for the first time for about twelve minutes before you entered so heartily into my good works, I got the idea that you have an affection- ate disposition and a loving touch. If I succeed in making about fifty thousand dollars during the next month, won't you come around and spend a day or so with me? I feel sure that your presence will be worth that amount. In the meantime, permit me to ask if you have missed a pair of wrought iron scissors, a burglar’s jimmy and a cross cut saw. I speak of this with some pain, but I think you ought to know that I have these articles. They are in a safe place—so I judge by the feeling—and will not get away. But they are liable to corrode, and I therefore urge you to drop everything—just where you found it—and hasten around here. Please give my love to the trained nurse, and ask if she has missed a couple of tortoise shell hairpins. They may be imitation for aught I can tell. Perhaps you wouldn't mind returning them to her with the other things. Yours, more in pain than anger, Cuesterton Topp. Doctor: vo you IZED BILL LIKE THIS? “You EXPECT ME TO PAY YOURS, DON'T you?” ME TO PAY AN UNITEM- -LIFE- Cook and Peary Elected Life’s Presidential Ticket Has Complete Triumph in All the States of the Union—New Era of Progress Now A ssured—How Fight Was Won IFE'S victory at the polls on the sth of November is now a matter of history. As a political coup d'etat it has no parallel in ancient or modern time: It was only one month before election that we suc- ceeded in prevailing upon Messrs. Cook and Peary to run for President and Vice-President respectively. We had no campaign fund, but in the nick of time prevailed upon every waiter in all the fashionable New York restaurants to give us ten per cent. of his tips for one day. From that moment the success of our ticket was practically assured. Much work, however, had yet to be done. Our candi- dates both immediately took to the stump, and clad in complete suits of armor, furnished free by the Steel Trust, spoke to immense audiences daily. One of the great contributing causes of our success was the fact that we issued a new platform every day, revised practically up to the minute, all embodying our latest and most progressive ideas about the Trusts and the Tariff. The other parties, who tried in vain to conceal their reactionary tendencics and were doomed to defeat from the start, could not hope to compete with this. We out progressed everything in sight. The landslide for Cook and Peary was wholly unex- pected, except by a few insiders who realized the respect they have both commanded since the great discovery of the North Pole, which has added so much to our national resources. Perkins knew it was coming. He offered a million to call the whole thing off—but our country is everything to ‘us, The inauguration took place night before last. The usual custom of having it on the fourth of March hoth successful candidates regarded as a great mistake. And as long as the American people had voted for our can- didates, there was no reason why the decision should not go into immediate effect. The Inauguration Ball, which took place in Wall Street and Washington at the same time, was a grand success. The costumes were elegant. Among others were noted: Colonel Theodore Roosevelt—Bull Moose hunting co: tume trimmed with Ananias braid, being the special gift of the Harvester Trust. W. H. Taft—Full regalia of Cincinnati homespun made in Lawrence, Mass., of ad valorem wool, the gift of the Tariff Board. Woodrow Wilson—Yellow toga with pension pleats. gift of A. Carnegic After the inauguration the country rapidly settled down, comicboo!