Life, 1914-04-23 · page 30 of 44
Life — April 23, 1914 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine contains several short humorous pieces typical of early 20th-century American satire, plus an advertisement. The main cartoons mock social awkwardness and pretension: 1. **"English Papers Please Copy"** presents anecdotes about honesty and bureaucracy—a boy's innocent observation that George Washington was "an American and told the truth," and a hotel clerk's reasonable request for a guest's name despite an illegible signature. The humor targets both childish directness and adult pomposity. 2. **"Shopping"** satirizes women's consumer behavior, depicting a shopper who meanders through a department store examining countless items (hats, furniture, cosmetics) before purchasing only her original intended item: thread. This stereotypes women as distractible and indecisive. 3. **"A Big Difference"** mocks ecclesiastical hypocrisy—a bishop denies conceit while displaying obvious arrogance, reframing superiority as mere "consciousness." The page concludes with an **Englebert tire advertisement** emphasizing durability through a testimonial from a jeweler's Pierce-Arrow limousine that logged 7,000 miles on a single tire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
SSAUT SCISSORS English Papers Please Copy The teacher had guests at school onc afternoon and naturally was anxious for her pupils to make a good impression. “William,” she asked of a rosy-faced Jad, “can you tell me who George Wash- ington was?” “Yes, ma‘am,” was the quick reply. “He was an American gen'ral.” “Quite right,” replied the teacher. “ And can you tell us what George Wash- ington was remarkable for “Yes, ma'am,” replied the little boy. “He was remarkable because he was an American and told the truth,” —Ladies’ Home Journal. Mr. Brown had just registered and pout to turn away when the clerk asked : “ Beg pardon, but what is your name?” ) echoed the indignant guest “ Don't you see my signature there on the register?” “T do,” returned the clerk calmly. Shopping A lady ambles to a store To buy a spool of thread, At first she looks at hats galore Then carying knives and bread. From there she travels to the aisle Where davenports are kept, And then she lingers for a while Around the ribbon dept. She looks at frying-pans and lace, Inspects the latest books. She prices lotions for the face And linen’ goods and hooks, And when she’s canvassed all the joints, And clerks are nearly dead, She brings the matter to a point And buys a spool of thread. —Louisville Courier-Journal. A Big Difference A Icarned bishop was once taken to task by some of his denominational brethren on the charge of exhibiting conceit of himself at variance with the spirit of humility. “Tt is not conceit,” replied the bishop, with that ponderous bearing that silenced opposition. “It is not conceit, brethren. LOwANT YOU TO BLOW My It is the consciousness of superiority.” “ That is what aroused my curiosit: os NOSE, PAPA —Lippincott's, erybody's. LIvms pustished every Thoruday, . i LIVE Is tor sale by all newsdealers la Great Deltin and may be oltained trom lookselters In all the pr Vowesshoas. $5.00 a yeat 9 adv ‘Additional postage to foresgn countries int 1.08 a year: cities of the world.” The foreign trade sepplied from Live's London Office, ells House, leesins 1 10 Canals, © cents. Single current copies, 10 cents. hack Bruder, after three moothy trom date of publiatice, Veadon, EC. i costs. Tastee prior 80 £98 out of bet The text oud Ulustrations in LAER are copyrighted, For Reprint Rights ta Grest Eritain appyy 0 1196 1d Southampton Kew, Loudest, WC. should be sent by subserioers of any change of addrest. No contridution wii! ve returned unless accompanied by stamped and addresses envelope, LAYE dott not hot thseiS responsible Jor the [oH oF momrcturn of wnscciclted Contribution On a certain Pierce-Arrow limousine belonging to a famous New York jeweler an Englebert steel-stud tyre recently ran 4,000 miles on a rear wheel. Then it was changed to a front wheel, where it has now passed the 7,000 mile mark and is still going. The owner says of our tyres—In every case we have run the tyre down to the last few layers of fabric.”