Life, 1913-03-13 · page 33 of 44
Life — March 13, 1913 — page 33: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The cartoon on the left satirizes the answers given by poor East Side schoolboys (likely immigrant children) when asked "What would you do if you were a millionaire?" Their responses—buying banks, mansions on Fifth Avenue, subways, yachts, and "feasting peasants"—reveal both innocent ambition and naive understanding of wealth and power. The satire works on multiple levels: the children's dreams reflect American capitalist values they've absorbed, yet their answers (like "hiring out" autos for profit, or cornering markets) show they've learned ruthless business practices. The reference to "weak lungs" and the evocative illustration of a hunched child suggest these are sickly slum children. The piece gently mocks both the children's earnest materialism and, implicitly, the social system that teaches poor immigrant youth that wealth and exploitation are life's ultimate goals.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
aA: “WE MUST HAVE WEAK LU. EVENING IE DARKS ONCE AND STOPS. What Would You Do? “What would you do if you were a nillionaire?"” was the question pro- pounded to the little boys of an East Side school the other day. The little East Siders’ answers were interesting. Some of them wrote: “I would have a house with rooms for each kind of use, such as sitting room, bedroom and dining room.” “1 would buy banks and be a bank president at a large salary.” “T would live on Fifth avenue in a slean house and buy autos and chariots.” “I would be proud of my. situation and also glad, and T would own autos and earn money by hiring them out.” “I would go to the finest ‘movies’ every night, also matinees if possible.” “T would buy a yacht and be elected Mayor and corner the market.” “T would feast my peasants, also in- stitute an education school.” “T would buy the subway, and get rich by charging ten cents.” » York Tribune. We have for Hire the Best Open and Closed Automobiles for British and Con- tinental Motoring at the most reasonable inclusive tariff in Europe. G American Visitorsto €. The fifth annual edi- Europe have toured tion of “Through 23400 sey miles, line Europe in an Auto” Sctiseed ta See Met 1S ent) in services. Maile Cars from us, Free on request. The International Autotravel Soclety 56-60 M Buildings The verano, Eadlend INew York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad On February 10th, 1913 FourThrough Express Trains Joined together New York City AND Northern New England (Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont) Leave New York (G. C. Ter.) 8.03 A.M. Daily— Via Springfield for Brattleboro, Bellows Falls, White River Junction, Wells River and-Newport, Vt., arriving 9.15 P.M. Returning leave Newport 9.40 A.M. Ar- rive New York, 10.35 P.M. Through Buffet Smoking Car, Parlor Car and Coaches. “The Green Mountain Express ”” |e 9? Leave New York i a (G. C. Ter.) 11.00 A.M. Daily ex- The Keene Express cept Sunday—via Springfield for Keene, N. H., ar- 7.30 A.M. riving 5.40 P.M. Returning leave Keene Arrive New York 2.05 P.M. Through Buffet Parlor Car and Coaches. Leave New York (G. C. Ter.) 11.50 A.M. Daily— via Springfield for White River Junction, arriving 7.20 P.M. Returning, leave White River Junction 9.00 A.M. Arrive New York 4.42 P.M. Through Buffet Smoker, Parlor Car, Dining Car and Coaches. ‘The Vermonter ”’ Leave New York (G. C. Ter.) 8.10 P.M. Daily— via Springfield and Worcester for Lowell, Mass., Ply- mouth, N. H., Portland, Augusta and Bangor, Me., arriving 11.45 A.M. Leave Bangor 3.45 P.M. weekdays, 1.15 P.M. Sundays. Portland 8.40 P.M., arrive New York 7.05 A.M. Through Sleepins Car to Piymouth, N. H., to Portland, Me. Through Coaches to Portland, Buffet Sleeping Car to Bangor, Me. Daily except Saturday to Bangor, and except Sunday from Bangor. “The State of Maine Express ”’ Our ticket agents will give you full information. For Sleeping or Parlor Car space apply 171 Broadway or Grand Central Station, New York The New England Lines comicbooks.com