Life, 1916-04-13 · page 28 of 46
Life — April 13, 1916 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The page contains two distinct sections: **Left cartoon**: Two panels showing a man reading a newspaper labeled "LIFE'S SUIT FOR FRESH AIR CHILDREN" with captions "Oh, well!" and "My honor must be avenged." This illustrates a legal dispute over charitable funds. **Main article**: Documents a lawsuit by *Life* magazine against trustees of the Branchville Fresh Air Association. The late Mr. Gilbert (died 1906) bequeathed stock dividends ($7,300 accumulated) specifically for poor city children's fresh air programs. The trustees allegedly refused to distribute these funds as directed, prompting *Life*'s legal action. **Right section**: A satirical commentary on gender and military training. It mocks contemporary enthusiasm for boys' military training camps while questioning why girls aren't similarly trained—sarcastically suggesting they should learn cooking, table service, and childcare instead. The illustration "Knowledge Is Not Always Power" shows a car accident, implying practical knowledge matters more than theory. The page satirizes both charitable mismanagement and contemporary gender assumptions about education and training.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“on, wei!” MY HONOR MUST BE AVENGED” LIFE’S Suit for the Fresh Air Children Training Camps HE following extract from the Hartford Post shows HERE is a great activity in training camps for boys and some additional facts in the suit Lire has brought to men. But how about the girls? Don’t they need to compel the trustees of the Branchville Fresh Air Associa- be trained as much as the boys? If our boys are going : tion to give up the funds which the late Mr, Gilbert in- be taught how to shoot straight, how to dig a trench * " . how to shoulder a musket (are we still using muskets tended to be used for the benefit of poor city children: et : why should not our girls have training camps, in which Mr. Gilbert died on February 28, 1906. By the terms they can be taught how to cook, how to wait on tables, how of his will he left 300 shares of the Gilbert & Bennett to make beds and how to take care of babies? Is there a stock to the fund, subject to the life interest of the greater need than this? widow. Mrs. Elizabeth Gilbert died on December 26, 1910, and when the estate was settled the stock was turned over to the trustees. The dividends were regularly paid until they totalled up to $7,300. It is alleged by the Lire company that although it has repeately requested that the dividends be turned over to the company for employment in the fresh air cause, as Mr. Gilbert directed, the trustees have at all times refused to comply with the request, or with the terms of the trust. The late Mr. Gilbert was widely known as a man of good works. Mr. Gilbert left cach of the churches in Ridgefield $5,000. He also contributed to other chari- ties. He disliked publicity, and once warned a well- known New York paper that if it ever told of his work he would cease his assistance given to an object in which that newspaper was interested. The outcome of this suit is likely to furnish many things of interest in connection with Mr. Gilbert's various charities, KNOWLEDGE 1S NOT ALWAYS POWER comicbooks.com