Life, 1915-12-09 · page 46 of 48
Life — December 9, 1915 — page 46: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This cartoon satirizes three powerful figures who each claim miraculous economic/political powers. The first conjures soldiers from farmers (likely referring to military mobilization or wartime industrialization). The second performs banking "miracles," manipulating financial institutions and currency. The third attempts to create a merchant marine from clouds. The punchline reveals the satire's target: when summoned, the attendant calls for "Mr. Bryan, Mr. M'Adoo and Mr. Redfield"—likely referring to William Jennings Bryan (politician), William McAdoo (Wilson administration official), and William Redfield (Commerce Secretary). The "Hall of Near Fame" suggests these men's grandiose claims don't quite match reality. The joke mocks progressive-era politicians who promised miraculous economic and military solutions, presenting their rhetoric as mere sleight-of-hand rather than genuine capability. The editor's rejection of the poet's work adds a meta-commentary on censorship or editorial standards.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Miracle Men OX there were three gentlemen who applied for admission to the Hall of Near Fame. At last the at- tendant came out and said: “Gentlemen, you'll have to wait a little. The Hall of Near Fame, as you know, is very much crowded, and we have to make a place for you. Just f sit down and amuse yourselves and in : rH ( a little while I will call out your > names.” So they sat down and looked pleas- antly at each other. Then the first one said: “While we are waiting I'll show you a little trick of mina” se ’ Thereupon he took from his pocket = ( a million farmers who had been work- ing in the fields an instant before. And in a moment he had converted them into soldiers. He snapped his fingers, and out of the clouds came a long line of siege guns and ammuni- tion. “T'm the boss miracle man,” said he. “T can make all these things over night at any time.” “That's nothing,” said the second man. “TI, too, am something of a mir- acle maker.” Thereupon he opened a bag and a whole lot of banks fell out. “T can do anything I want with these banks,” he said. “I can put wings on them and they will fly. Her Christmas Morning Look!” And a lot of bills that looked like real money came out of them. ee “Pooh!” said the third man, KO D A K “That's nothing. I can make a whole G4 panerns and perfection of merchant marine out of a cloud. He finish and fit add that touch of exclu- was just about to do this and had got- siveness, in man’s haberdashery, so : ten hold of a rather good cloud, when ratifying to the discriminais ‘ The gift that pro- gratifying to the discriminating taste there was a bustle at the gate and the $I 50 $7 50. At deal i attendant called: 20 to $7.50. t dealers. vides the means for “All ready now for Mr. Bryan, Mr. ‘The Nek-ban-tabon Emery shirts opens the button: keeping a happy Ppic- M'Adoo and Mr. Redfield.” pocket and lets you slip your collar-button right in 'W. M. Steppacher & Bro., Inc., Philadelphia f ture story of the day. “No,” said the editor, “we cannot ( use your poem.” \ “Why,” asked the poet; “is it too Kodaks, $6.00 up, Brownies, $1.00 t0 $12.00. | | leage” “Yes,” hissed the editor. “It’s too EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY, long, and too wide, and too thick.” ROCHESTER, N. Y., The Kodak City, St. Louis Republic Medical Journals, Please Ignore HE Philadelphia North American brings a detailed account of how Mr. George H. Zarle, a prominent capitalist of that city, was cured of cataract by osteopathy. This is the kind of news that medical journals should carefully overlook. To be cured of cataract by osteopathy is a highly unconventional and revolutionary proceed- ing, full of menace to established institutions. It is down in all the respectable books which are indorsed by the State medical boards and other official guardians of our health and faculties that the only proper thing for cataract is the knife, with results that can | never be foreseen. Events like this in Philadelphia would not be disturbing if patients were as orthodox OF BPA as practitioners. But they are not. Most of them would much rather be cured in an 1GARS unorthodox, or if necessary a fantastic, fashion than to suffer and go blind along the straight and narrow medical and surgical path. “MADE AT KEY WEST— comicbooks.com