Life, 1914-01-22 · page 9 of 40
Life — January 22, 1914 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Life magazine page (p. 137) contains two distinct satirical pieces: **"New Stories in Stone"** mocks the Fairmount Art Association's plan for historical statues along Philadelphia's Schuylkill River. The satire suggests these should be replaced with more contemporary subjects—Theodore Roosevelt's political maneuvers, William Jennings Bryan's activities, and various recent political/social controversies. The point: the association recycles old historical figures when modern American politics offers equally dramatic (and ridiculous) subjects worthy of commemoration. **"Our Wall Street Column"** presents a humorous anecdote about Herbert Hobbleton buying stock and exchange members purchasing land organs—likely satirizing speculative excess and frivolous spending during the prosperous 1920s. The final dialogue joke about chocolates is light domestic humor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ON THE PROPHET SHARING PLAN Our Wall Street Column R. HERBERT HOBBLETON, head of the firm of Hobbleton, Fleecum & Company, bought a new fifty- cent cravat yesterday. A stranger from the West wandered into the street this morning and ordered a share of stock. Several members of the Stock Exchange are buying hand organs on the installment plan for use on their sum- mer vacations, A five dollar gold piece was on exhibit yesterday on the floor. It was much admired. RS. HELTER: Tommie, don't you think you've had enough chocolates? Tommie: No, mother. There are two left. 137 New Stories in Stone RS. SAMUEL, of Philadelphia, left half a million dollars for a row of statues illustrating the history of America, to be placed along the east bank of the Schuyl- kill River in Fairmount Park. The Fairmount Art Association, which has these statues in hand, is said to be considering Columbus Discovering America, William Penn Haggling with the Indians, Wash- ington at Valley Forge, and other old subjects that have been done to death. Why not have something fresh? For example: Theo- dore Roosevelt Issuing his Declaration Under No Cireum- stances to be Again a Candidate; Elihu Root Withholding the Republican Nomination from Roosevelt at Chicago; William J. Bryan Denouncing Thomas Ryan and Charles Murphy at the Baltimore Convention; Woodrow Wilson Wresting the Helm of Destiny from George Harvey; Jane Addams Called by George W. Perkins from Social Service to Political Life. The public needs some new stories from the sculptors. They should begin now to sculp the Twentieth Century. “DASHER brags that his is an all fiction magazine.” “And it is; even to the letters of praise from. subscribers.” “T JEST DROPPED MY LAST NICKEL, BILLY.” “DERE'S NO USE KICKIN’, DON’T YE KNOW DAT YER ON WALL STREET?” comicbooks.com