Life, 1915-09-09 · page 7 of 44
Life — September 9, 1915 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes concerns about ocean conservation and seafood safety. The poem warns of dangers in deep-sea creatures—mentioning typhoid oysters, dangerous fish, and problematic lobsters—presented humorously as threats to summer beachgoers. The cartoon mocks bureaucratic overreach: a portly government official (labeled with what appears to be economic/regulatory authority) is made into a "monkey" by a smaller figure representing the public or press. The official holds a magazine ("Collegiate National Digest"), suggesting criticism of how authorities handle information about food safety and ocean resources. The satire likely targets 1920s-era debates over food regulation, government authority, and concerns about commercial fishing practices—depicting bureaucrats as laughable obstacles to public interests rather than protectors.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A Deeper Deep-Sea Peril Dows amidst the sea-food dwelt a mermaid, Pretty little maid with eyes like lamb's, Sitting in the cloisters of the typhoid oysters, Playing in the kingdom of the pto- maine clams. Round her swam the codfish of the Summer boarder, Past her crawled the lobsters which the trusts control, Also not a few fish—whitebait, blue- fish And the fat and flabby flounder (which they serve as sole). Down upon the mermaid dropped a magazine Full of Summer articles and fiction, too. These she read, delighted, until she saw, affrighted, A squib called “Shell Fish Peril "— then the sea looked blue. Twice and thrice the mermaid scanned the article ; Doctor Harvey Smiley wrote the same. Said he: “Oysters, eat them sparing; only for the daring Is the lazy, languorous lobster from the seaside sea. “Many kinds of fish are dangerous as snake-bites, Codfish balls are deadlier than ben- zoate of ham; Whitebait, kept in storage, forms a devil's porridge— And oh! avoid the peril of the sand- fed clam!” . for Adequate aaconal Back upon the coral flopped the mer- maid, Double-briny tear-drops dimmed her eyes: “Lo! the muckrake’s motion sweeps the mighty ocean And a salt and slimy scandal’s on the realm I prize! lefense MAKING A MONKEY OF HIM The One on the Left: cit out! GOT TO ECoNoMIZzE! We “Once the bounding sea was full of pirates; Now it's full farewell! Next some scribe, for stir made, will of microbes—hope, analyze the mermaid— Then good-bye to Summer and the Beach Hotel!” Wallace Irwin. comicbooks.com