Life, 1915-04-29 · page 10 of 44
Life — April 29, 1915 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The top cartoon shows two figures on a bench labeled "We're Piscohilums. What are you?" with the caption "I forget what it's called, but it's the latest thing." This satirizes the era's trend toward newly coined or fashionable terms and social labels—people adopting trendy identities without fully understanding them. "Piscohilums" appears to be a made-up word, mocking how the wealthy classes adopted obscure terminology to signal sophistication. The "Send Him to Mexico" and "Reformers" sections below are editorial commentary. The Mexico reference suggests sending someone abroad to solve domestic problems. The "Reformers" section satirizes how reform movements breed endless "reform of reformers"—a cycle of activism eating itself, with each generation of reformers becoming targets for the next.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“WERE 'PISCOPALIUMS, WHAT ARE You?” 5 “FORGET WHAT IT’S CALLED, BUT IT’S THE LATEST THING,” Send Him to Mexico ZRAL SCOTT'S dealings with the Piutes read just like a Sun- day-school story. It was truly lovely. He was as kind to those Indians, as sagacious, as patient and as firm as a real saint with a lot of heathen chil- dren. It pleased everybody. Why can’t General Scott re-pack his handbag and go on a mission of pacification to Mexico! He scems the kind might do Mexico good, of man who Reformers HE tendency of the present age is to produce a crop of reformer- reforming reformers. The reforming instinct is so firmly imbedded in some natures, and the futility of uni- versal reforming is becoming so ap- parent that, sooner than most of us expect, megalomania will find no out- let other than reforming reformers. And, of course, the next step will be A Great Question Answered EING desirous of settling the important question as to when the war will end, Lire has taken the trouble to interview our most influential citizens, with the following results: Mr. J. Burns Limelight, the famous detective, author of “ How I Discovered Myself", after-dinner spea ete: “Tt will be a short war. I'll stake my reputation it will not last less than two months or more than two years.” Miss Daisy Kalsomine, the seventeen-year-old historical novelist, whose latest work, “Mud”, is awaited with breathless interest by a feverish public: “I cannot see how the war can last beyond August; but it may, of course, last until September, October or November. Ain't it terrible, anywa: Professor Lignum Vitz, of Squirter University: “In my next book, which is now being fed to an army of presses, the end of the war is announced, It would mani- festly be unjust to my publishers and myself to give the information in advance of this date.” Mrs. Clingstone Van Peacher, society leader of Vogue, Vanity Fair, Town and Country, Newport, Lenox and Upper Fifth Avenue: “I'm so nervous about it I hardly know what to say, but, of course, I must say something. August third is my lucky day. I got my first divorce then. Do say August third!” MEMORIES, reforming the reformers of reform- ers, which will eventuate in) making all reformers like the big fleas that are preyed upon by smaller fleas, which, in turn, have still smaller fleas to bite 'em, and so on ad infinitum, F you want to get a reputation for jom, my son, be solemnly prophetic. Men will marvel at your insight into the future, and your prophecy will be forgot before it can be disproved. BENEDICK: Every man ought to have a salary that will enable him to marry, BacHetor: ought to have sense engugh to stay single. . Yes, and then he