Life, 1913-04-17 · page 30 of 52
Life — April 17, 1913 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page features reader letters mocking Life's controversial "Awful Number" issue from March 27, 1913. The letters sarcastically defend Life's satirical content: one writer ironically justifies child labor in Alabama mills, another complains the issue is too risqué for homes with children, and a third notes that *everyone* was disappointed—implying Life's satire was universally recognized as biting. The cartoon "Our Greatest Experimenter" satirizes medical pseudoscience and quack doctors. Dr. "Sinistor Broot" (clearly a fabricated name suggesting "sinister brute") claims to have discovered miraculous cures through absurd methods. The accompanying text mocks contemporary medical charlatanism and the Rockefeller Institute's claimed disease cures, suggesting scientific claims of the era were often exaggerated or fraudulent. The satirical naming of his assistants—"Depravity Hobbs," "Farsikal Fadd"—reinforces the mockery of dubious medical practitioners.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Missouri Defends Alabama To tue Epitor or Lire, Dear Sir: Why are you so hard on Alabama? Surely you cannot expect a poor, frail two hundred pound man to use up his time in actual work, when it is so easy for any child of two or over to secure pleasurable as well as profitable employ- ment ay bartender, engine stoker, safe cracker, or bank robber? Besides, if the male parent used up his energies in actual work, do you not realize that the output of children would be materially decreased? And then what would the cotton mills do! Have you no respect at all for the rights of parents and cm- ployers? Sincerely yours, Watter Carrout. Kawsas City, Mo., March 1913. Worse Than We Thought To tue Eptror oF Lire As a subscriber to Lire for some time in the past, I beg to inform you that we yesterday had delivered at our home your issuc under date of March 27, entitled “Awful Number,” and, to be very frank with you, it would have been better named had it been called “ Rotten Number,” for without exception it is the most disgust ing exhibition in the way of your car- toons that has ever been witnessed by the writer, and it is totally unfit to come into a home where there are young children, T have noticed a number of times your caricatures of religious subjects, and I am of the belief that your reference to same is not only pernicious, but is sac- rilegious. Nearly every page of the issue I refer to is in the class of “ Hearst,” and if you continue to send out publica- tions such as you have on March 20 and 27, I certainly shall cease to be a sub- scriber. In the past your paper has been inter- esting, witty and very entertaining, but if you continue along the present lines I fail to understand how you can retain the prominent list of subscribers such as you have had in past years. Yours truly, Haxtrorp, H. B, Stxpman. March 26, 1913. ob PEPE Another View Lire: Your Awful Number of Lire Gosh how you advertised the thing— how you had us all standing on our Eye Brows awaiting the issue—How we got after the dealer when it was a day late— Then when it came, Oh what a Frost it was. Believe me it would do far any preacher's home and is truly modest. We are all disappointed. Sima, Ata, Ax Arvext Reaper. March E Pluribus Unum Eprror oF Lire, Dear Sin: Will you oblige me by giving me the name and address of a person who was not disappointed by the “Awful Number” of your magazine? Yours very truly, New York, — Grorcr S. Scuwanz. March 28, 1913. The initials we Tue Eitor. His name is Legion. forget. OUR GREATEST EXPERIMENTER HIS picture shows that prince of research, J. Sinistor Broot, M.D., in his own private laboratory. Although often assisted by such Koward, Farsikal Fadd and the famous vivisector, Hobbs, M.D., Krewell F. well-known scientists as Depravity A. de Generett Khuss, all credit for the present discovery belongs entirely to Dr. Sinistor Broot. Dr. Broot has proved conclusively that a serum procured by roasting the spinal column of a dog is a sudden and permanent cure for all diseases heretofore considered fatal Dr. B, important discovery of the age. us Greene and Dr. Tryon Paupers, both pronounce it the most In next Sunday’s New York Chimes there will be a portrait of Dr. Broot, with an able article written by Dr. Gull Reedurs. And it is only fair to acknowledge that, of the two hundred and seventy-four sure cures for cancer and tuberculosis discovered at the Rockefeller Institute, at least two hundred and seventy are due to the tireless research of this lovable man. The present discovery, however, far transcends all previous marvels. comicbooks.com