Life, 1914-12-24 · page 3 of 40
Life — December 24, 1914 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertising and fiction**, not political satire. The left column contains "The Wonderful Truth," a short story about Jim, a man newly employed who tells his wife Mary about job security provided by the Federal Reserve Act—suggesting optimism about new financial legislation. The dominant imagery is a **California Expositions advertisement** for Southern Pacific Steamships, featuring an illustration of a woman gazing from a ship toward coastal scenery. Below is an **Evans' Ale advertisement** promoting holiday gift-giving. The bottom corner shows a small "Stock Quotation" illustration. No political cartoons or caricatures appear on this page. It reflects early 20th-century American consumer culture and commercial optimism.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Wonderful Truth T was at the close of a beautiful day in the slums. The rays of the setting sun illumined the chimney- pots as the man who was out of a job entered his two-room mansion on the tenth floor and merrily greeted his wife and five children. “Any luck, Jim?” asked the wife. Jim smiled. “Haven't you heard?” he replied gaily. “You haven't got work, have you?” Jim laughed. “Work, is it?” he replied. “Sure, we won't have to work any more.” “What do you mean?” Jim put his hand in his pocket, took out his pipe and then, recalling the purely incidental fact that he had no tobacco, returned it and grinned com- placently. “Sure, Mary,” he said, “you're way behind the times. Didn't you know that.this whole country from East to West and from North to South has now, as me beloved boss would say if he was employin’ me, entered upon a blessed new era? I'm proud to tell ye, Mary, that there'll be no more trouble. We may be starving, but who cares? The new Federal Reserve Act, I see by the papers, is now the law of the land. Nothing can happen to us now, Mary. By the grand help of Mr. Warburg and Mr. McAdoo and some of the noblest bankers God ever made, we're all right, Mary. We may not think it, but we are.” “Jim, are ye mad?” “Mad, is it?” The man out of a job once more reached into his pocket and pulled out the torn page of a great newspaper, which contained two solid columns of extracts from leading editorials, all hailing the dawn of a new financial day. “Mad, is it?” he repeated. “ Now will ye believe me?” HOLIDAY CHEER FOR EVERYBODY Is found In a barre! containing Ale T makes a Gift that confers re lastiog | benefit and Sek all the good cheer and rood’ fellowship ofthe practical means of doing good as well The oy iz uF tg Rromates, fireside ‘comfort “and ‘Kindly | Nearest 0 Dealer or C. H. EVANS & SONS, Hudson, N.Y. California Expositions Pave the way for the happiest, healthiest, most satisfying trip you have ever known by writing today for a reservation on one of our luxuriously appointed Southern Pacific Steamships New York to New Orleans Privilege of ample stop-over in this fascinating Southern City, with its quaint and interesting ways and by-ways; or you can step from your steamer to the Sunset Limited Every Day in the Year—No Extra Fare New Orleans, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco Oil buming locomotives, permitting open windows all the way. Automatic electric block Signals. Through Dining and Observation Cars. Write for full information and literature. L. H. NUTTING, General Passenger Agent 1188 Broadway, at 27th Street © 366 Broadway, at Franklin Street 39 Broadway, near Wall Street NEW YORK CITY STOCK QUOTATION U.S. PREFERRED