Life, 1913-12-18 · page 12 of 40
Life — December 18, 1913 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top Cartoon ("Oh wai di spa"):** This satirizes an opera patron's complaint. A dib Box Officer dismisses criticism of English-language opera by noting that Grand Opera is incomprehensible in *any* language anyway—a 311-year tradition. The cartoon mocks both operatic pretension and American attempts at cultural refinement through foreign art forms. **"How to Do It" Article:** This piece proposes restoring public confidence in railroads through financial transparency. The argument: if railroads prove competent handling money through public accountability, citizens will trust them more—a "merry-go-round" logic suggesting circularity in solving the trust crisis. **Bottom Cartoon:** A street vendor comic showing a child's priorities: asked about candy, the child insists on buying soap instead—likely commentary on Depression-era poverty or moral necessity over indulgence.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Oh wat di spa” I require “What was he said it?” chivalrously. “He say, ‘Farewell, farewell, my faithful swan !'" he snub maddishly. “Are he still talking English?” 1 narrate, “Hush it!” he snarrel. “Between your noise and the orchestra I cannot hear the opera.” “If my absence will make this art easier for your mentality I shall cease to blockade,” are sharp report I make while withdrawing Cousin Nogi ou:- side from theater. Although Nagasaki by birth, I am Glasgow in my soul, Mr. Editor. It pangs me to spend money without some come-back for what I pay. So I enrush up to box-office with money-back expression. “T require get at leastly 35¢ return rebate on these stubbed tickets,” I say 30 to merely financial gentleman who was there, “Why hashly. “Because is!” I reject scornly. “I pay large wealth to hear English. What they sung was otherwise.” “That were English!" say Money Box. “T could not understood it.” me. “Nobody expect understood Grand Opera in any language,” he snagger. “Be reasonable like Sherman Law.” “What are grand opera for, if not?” I ask to know. “Several things. To give folks wrong impression of history and con- fuse them about love while admiring Smart Setters in diamond horseshoe,” he define. “This has satisfied Art for 311 years—why should you require something else all of a sudden?” “Then why would it not be just as good for Americans if sung in Chinese, Swedish or German?” I ne- gotiate. “Because of patriotism,” he define. “Every man prefer to be puzzled in his own language.” Hoping you are the same Yours truly Hasuimura Toco. (Per Wallace Irwin.) for?” dib Box Officer Say How to Do It . ESLIE’S WEEKLY declares there is a short cut to “the restora- tion of public confide: roads of this country ¢ in the rail- namely, to allow them to advance rates. Let’s see if we can trace the logic of it. The public, having lost con- fees fidence in the ability or willingness el of the railroad managers to make proper use of the vast sums they receive, should show its lack of confidence by going down in its own pocket and giving the railroads greater quantities of money for the same service. This would prove that the railroads were much better able to handle money than before and the public could get its confidence back, which is more important than its money. This may be a short cut and it may be a long cut, but to a rank outsider it looks more like a merry-go-round. aor “ WELL, LITTLE BOY, DO YOU WANT TO BUY SOME CANDY?” “ SURE I DO, BUT I GOTTA BUY SOAP.” comicbooks.com