Life, 1913-01-23 · page 35 of 40
Life — January 23, 1913 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Life magazine page contains satirical commentary and advertisements typical of early 20th-century American media. **"We Need More Slums"** uses heavy irony to critique wealthy landlords and economists who profit from urban poverty while claiming charitable motives. The piece sarcastically argues slums are "profitable investments" and benefit the poor by creating charity opportunities—exposing how the affluent rationalize inequality. **"A Cheerful Prospect"** is a brief joke about marriage, playing on the cliché that married life brings troubles. **The body-as-machine article** reflects period health pseudoscience, comparing human physiology to mechanical systems and promoting "The Thompson Course"—likely a mail-order physical fitness program. This reflects early 1900s popular wellness trends that promised rejuvenation through exercise. **Advertisements** for Gold Armor Whiskey and the Thompson Course represent common magazine revenue streams. The page primarily consists of advertising and lifestyle content rather than explicit political cartoons. Its satire targets class economics and exploitative landlord practices—relevant social criticism wrapped in period advertising conventions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
gb Al eJeis We Need More Slums While we are all working together for prosperity, let us not overlook the great advantages of slums. Nothing is more profitable. As investments they are unsurpassed, for they return a high rate of interest at little risk and little cost of upkeep. Without slums, many of our most respected citizens would be just ordinary individuals. But that isn’t all. Slums are a splen- did thing for the poor. They are the mainstay of a large part of our chari- table activities. The slum landlords and landladies are public-spirited and generous. They do not keep all their rents to themselves. On the contrary, they respond nobly to requests for money to relieve the condition of the poor. Indeed, many of our most prominent political economists agree that if we only had enough slums in this country the poor would disappear altogether. Let us look into this mat- ter with our customary earnestness and solve it with our customary alacrity. A Cheerful Prospect They had just become engaged. “What joy it will be,” she exclaimed, “for me to share all your griefs and sorrows!” “ But, darling!" he protested; “I have none.” “No,” she answered; “but when we are married you will have.” —Ladies’ Home Journal. When you want a whiskey that is a little bet- ter than you can get at your club, I have it for you. V. O. S. GOLD ARMOR WHISKEY _ A blend of straight Bourbons, one selected for its aroma, another for its body and a third for its flavor, and all taken from my own family's collec- tion of rare old Bourbons—so harmonized as to produce that exquisite bouquet, the eternal quest the connoisseur. Undoubtedly an ideal in whiskey, but if you don’t find it so you can have your money returned, ld only by mail, 4 quarts $6. Send check or use your business stationery. Express prepaid. RANDOLPH ROSE, Exclusively fine old whiskies. York Street, Newport, Kentucky. What is the Weak Part of Your Bodily Machine? After all, what are you but a sys- tem of mechanism—more complica- ted than ever mortal man devised. Think how at times you feel that some part of your complex enginery is out of order—is clogged up or has a bad connection and is working poorly, “The bellows” of your body— the lungs—take short puffs per- haps. Or the “ engine '’— the heart—is irreg- ular. Or some- thing is the mat- terwith the‘‘con- duits’—you know not where. And so on. Wherever the trouble may be, the whole system is affected. You feel ‘‘tired out” too early in the day. Or you rise as worn as when you went tobed. Or you say your “digestion is out of whack” or your “‘liver is sluggish.” There is no need for you to face such a serious condition. No need for you to go on with your machinery getting worse and worse from day to day. You men who lead more of a business than an active outdoor life will find that Nature will be kind to you if you will be only half kind to Nature. Nature does not demand that you give eee SSS = Sn SQ hours to exercise. Give'just a few minutes daily to the proper treatment of the vital inner muscles—1. e., those chief parts of your bodily machine: the lungs, heart, stomach, intestines, etc, Nature will re- pay you in results out of all proportion to your effort. The Thompson Course is a rational, pleasant and easy means of securing and maintaining that reserve power which your body originally had and which by unthinking neglect you have wasted. Any manufacturer would dis- charge his engineer if he found him abusing the factory machinery in such a way as you doubtless abuse your bodily machinery. My Course is different from any other treatment in that it benefits (by natural movements scientifically applied) the vital parts of your human system. I offer you something that will benefit every inch of your body and brain through every minute of your life, and I offer it on free-trial terms that make it impossible for you to lose a penny. Let Me Give You “HUMAN ENERGY” My book, “Human Energy,” bution to the science of ma self. It is startling, yet obviously true. is a real contri- ig the most of one- It will be sent to any man free and without obligation except to read it as though it were written by a friend. Please give home address. J. EDMUND THOMPSON Suite 99, Exchange Bldg., | Worcester, Mass. THE ONE COP YOU CANNOT LEAVE BEHIND comicbooks.com