Life, 1915-09-02 · page 39 of 48
Life — September 2, 1915 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertising**, not political satire. The dominant content features Western Electric Company ads for household appliances—an inter-phone ($15) and vacuum cleaner ($32.50)—positioned as modern conveniences that "make housekeeping easy and economical." The page includes a book review of Edgar Lee Masters's *Spoon River Anthology* (left column), a humorous verse commentary by Arthur Guiterman questioning why Masters's fictional small town contains so much tragedy, and two brief jokes at the bottom. The only satirical element is Guiterman's gentle mockery of Masters's dark worldview—suggesting perhaps the author has liver troubles rather than genuine observations about human nature. The final anecdote mocks European nobility's obsession with genealogy. The **Calox tooth powder ad** uses a whitening effect visual to promote oxygen-based dental care. This reflects 1910s-era Life magazine's blend of literary criticism, advertising, and light humor directed at educated, middle-class readers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Spoon River Anthology Edgar Lee Masters. Macmillan Co.) NRAVELING the twisted thread {r, Masters, Sum up their triumphs and disasters. their own careers true poctic magic, cs full of tears sordid, crazed or tragic. y thwarted, blasted live nany deaths by guns and halters! tured husbands, wives, ntons, frauds, de- faulters! Truth! Ah well, I’m glad the towns where I've resided ler share of folks went mad, Committed crimes or suicided. I know that life is full of grief, one volume tells in brief More tales than many shelves of novels, I know—that is, the ultra-smart Have nobly tried to drive it through tat every worthy Work of Art Must be at least five-sevenths gloomy ou Can See \ the whitening effect of the OXYGEN when using he OXYGEN Tooth Powder Oxygen is nature’s great puri- er. That's why CALOX pre- vents dental troubles by Temoving the cause of | tooth decay. All Druggists, 25c. uy 7 os fo} you mention your Druggist. McKESSON & ROBBINS 1 Fulton St. New York PUMA Ie Saniple and Booklet Free if} Make housekeeping easy and economical. Here are two great conveniences—the Inter-phone and the Vacuum Cleaner. Inter-phone Simple, clear-speaking telephones which save stair-climbing and loud calling from floor to floor. $15 will buy the outfit, ready to be put up by anyone without marring the walls. Vacuum Cleaner The unique design of this new model adds to its effectiveness, makes hand- ling easier and allows it to be snugly hung away in a closet when not in use. This cleaner is backed by the world’s largest distributors of electrical supplies. The price is $32.50, including an exten- sion nozzle for cleaning under furniture. Both of these conveniences can be pur- chased in your vicinity. We should be pleased to have you write our house nearest to you, asking for descriptive booklet No. 402-AK, and we will give you the name of our nearby agent. Other Western YJ Electric house- J hold helps include J Weshing Machines, Irons, Warming Pads, Toasters, Fans, Table Lamps, Household Motors and Electric Dish- washers. We will mail literature de- scribing any in which you are interested. WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY Manufacturers of the 8,500,000 “Bell” Telephones Adlanta Chicago, ‘Se. Louis Richmond Milwaukee Todianapotis Savasoah Preuburdh Mingeapaa EQUIPMENT FOR EVERY ELECTRICAL NEED I know that, when from trouble freed, Of late I eruised the blue Atlantic, This book was better far to read Than heaps of others more ro- mantic. But are the glad, the pure, the strong Such rarities in dark Spoon River? Or was there, maybe, something wrong With Mr. E, L. Masters’s liver? Arthur Guiterman, A Good Start A certain nobleman, talking to an American friend about the antiquity of his family, was told roughly that he was “a mere mushroom.” “How is that? "he asked, indignantly. said the other, “when I was sa pedigree of a particular family was shown to me which filled more than five large parchment skins, and near the middle of it was a note in the margin, ‘About this time the world was created.’ "—Tit-Bits. comicbooks.com