Life, 1914-06-11 · page 5 of 44
Life — June 11, 1914 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertising**, not satire or political commentary. It's a full-page ad from the Southern Ruralist Company (Atlanta, Georgia) promoting their farm publication to manufacturers and business leaders. The decorative header shows repeated cowboy/farmer figures in identical poses—a visual device emphasizing uniformity and mass appeal. The ad's pitch targets industrial manufacturers: Southern farmers allegedly possess "$3 billion to spend," making them "the wealthiest class of buyers." The text claims advertisers waste resources on cities when rural Southern markets remain underpenetrated. This reflects early 20th-century marketing strategy—identifying untapped consumer demographics in agricultural regions. The ad promises 250,000 readers with purchasing power, positioning the publication as an efficient advertising channel to reach prosperous farmers directly.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Mister President—Officers—Directors and Stockholders of The Great American Manufacturing Concerns—Permit us to introduce _ The Prosperous Southern Farmer THE WEALTHIEST CLASS OF BUYERS ON THE FACE OF GOD’S GREEN EARTH E_ has recently cashed in a One Billion and Eighty-Five Million Dollar Cotton Crop, which represents more real money than the gold and silver output of the world. His Corn brought him over Five Hundred Million Dollars, and counting up the proceeds from various other crops—The total shows that he HAS OVER THREE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO SPEND Familiarize yourself with Rural Conditions in the South—Wake up! At the present time, two-thirds of your advertising appropriation is prob ably being spent in the cities, while three-fourths of your goods are ulti- mately consumed on the farm. You fail to hit the mark you are shooting at— your goods go to the Farm, while your selling force is storming the cities. Stop wasting ammunition and your sales in the Southland will grow wonderfully. If you manufacture a product that the Southern Farmer needs,—tell him about it in the SOUTHERN RURALIST THE SOUTH’S FOREMOST FARM PAPER The Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Southera Farmers who read it twice a month are neither Rubes, Rough-Necks nor Dullards; they have more money to spend than the average city man and more time at their disposal in which to read your advertisement. Beginning with our September Ist issue, we guarantee 250,000 net paid circulation at a flat rate of One Dollar a line. State Circulation Maps and Sample Copies sent on request. Southern Ruralist Company, Atlanta, Ga. CHICAGO OFFICE NEW YORK OFFICE ST. LOUIS OFFICE J.C, BILLINGSLEA A. H, BILLINGSLEA A. D, MCKINNEY ADVERTISING BLDG. 1 MADISON AVE. JAD NAT. BANK BLDG. comicbooks.com