Life, 1913-07-24 · page 17 of 40
Life — July 24, 1913 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces mocking American life circa 1910s: **"Fable of the Steer"** satirizes capitalist inefficiency and the "cost of living." A steer is repeatedly shipped between Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Chicago, and Iowa—accumulating transportation costs—before ending at a packing house. The joke: all this pointless traveling represents wasteful economic systems that ultimately benefit no one, with the steer's bitter reflection on "cost of living" serving as dark humor about consumer exploitation. **"How to Get a Divorce"** is sardonic advice mocking divorce proceedings. It recommends marrying first (obviously), then systematically alienating your spouse and children, involving friends, avoiding lawyers' rational counsel, and publicly airing grievances to newspapers—making the process deliberately destructive. The satire targets how adversarial and publicly spectacled divorce had become, where newspapers sensationalized personal tragedy. The other illustrations appear to be unrelated filler cartoons about nautical knowledge and domestic life, typical of satirical magazine layouts.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
os) es) Bch) Fable of the Steer CERTAIN Steer first saw the light of day on the ranges of Colorado, But while he was still young his owner rounded him up, loaded him in a car, and shipped him off to Kansas City. There he was sold to a rancher, and by him shipped out to Oklahoma to feed in the pastures during the summer. In the fall the Steer was shipped to Chicago. In Chi- cago a farmer bought him and shipped him to Iowa to top him off, as the saying is, with corn. The following spring, being by that time in prime con- dition, the Steer was shipped back to Chicago and found his way to the packing house. “Tis fine to be travelled,” reflected he, as he alighted from the cars for the last time, “ but oh, you cost of living!” THE ADVANTAGE OF A LITTLE NAUTICAL KNOWLEDGE SAVED BY WIG-WAGGING eaeeana et: 1913-90 £ ZY SUGGESTION FOR A MONUMENT How to Get a Divorce IRST—Get married. This is not only highly expedient, but abso- lutely necessary. Second—Be friendly with your wife. No satisfactory divorce can eventually be secured unless you begin on this basis. By becoming more or less inti- mate with her you lay a splendid foun- dation for trouble later on. Third—In case you have any chil- dren, begin by prejudicing each one of them separately against his or her mother. You cannot always secure a divorce by your own unaided efforts; therefore, bring in as many other aids as possible. After you have exhausted your children, drag your friends in. Under no circumstances consult a law- yer until you have to. Just at the moment that you think that a divorce is necessary your lawyer may persuade you that it is not. No lawyer has ever yet done this, but there is always a chance that it may happen. Therefore, be careful. Fourth—Talk it over with your wife. Don't hesitate to talk thoroughly. Ex- plain your attitude toward her from numerous and different angles. It is better not to have any particular method about this. Do it in the early morning and late at night. Use any language that you think best. Encour- age her to do likewise. Fifth—When you have finally agreed between you to secure a divorce, send for the reporters and tell your story. The case is then out of your hands. It remains for the newspaper readers to decide your fate and the fate of your wife and children. All that is left for you is to pay the fees and the alimony, and make arrangements for your second honeymoon, A CHARMED LIFE comicbooks.com