Life, 1916-05-11 · page 32 of 48
Life — May 11, 1916 — page 32: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1916 *Life* magazine page contains satirical short stories and advertisements typical of the era. **The Cartoons/Stories:** - "A Guilty Conscience": A Black laundress chases a white sprinter for unpaid washing bills—a joke about avoiding responsibility - "Cross-Examinations": A military training scenario where a recruit admits he's hiding behind an ant hill, undermining the officer's orders—humor about military incompetence - "Incurable": A rural farmer complains his father won't stop collecting medical remedies despite never getting sick—gentle humor about folk superstition The stories rely on racial caricature (the laundress speaks in exaggerated dialect), class humor, and simple situational comedy typical of early-20th-century American humor. **The Advertisements:** The bulk of the page promotes lawn mowers and household items, reflecting *Life*'s dual purpose as satirical magazine and consumer publication. The "Ideal Junior Power Lawn Mower" ($225) targets middle-class homeowners—a luxury item suggesting prosperity. The page captures early-1900s American values: aspirational consumerism, military confidence, and humor centered on social hierarchies now considered offensive.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Cross-Examinations A company of very new soldiers were =i NUuLLus eg out on a wide heath, practising the art of Si taking cover. The officer ‘n charge of / them turned to one of the rawest of his men. A Guilty Conscience “Get down behind that hillock there,” he ordered, sternly, “and, mind, not a A young fellow who was the crack qiove or w acund l™ sprinter of his town—somewhere in the "A fewsminuies:later:ke logked’ around South—was unfortunate enough to have ; to ike if they Zwere all Condealed, and, 40 a very dilatory laundress. One evening, his despair, observed something wriggling when he was out for a practice run in 2 behind the small mound, Even as he his rather airy and abbreviated track ‘ watched the movements became more costume, he chanced to dash past the eee! frantic. house of that dusky lady, who at the aot ie, “T say, you there!” he shouted, time was a couple of weeks in arrears - Z analy, aS you know you ace giving with his washing. es = ns our position away to the enem: He had scarcely reached home a ‘ “Yes, sir,” said the recruit, in a voice when the bell rang furiously and an ex- ‘ of cool desperation, “and do you know ed voice was wafted in from the porch : : : that this is an ant-hill? "—Tit-Bits. Foh de Lawd’s sake! won't you-all ” tell Marse Bob please not to go out no i moh till I kin git his clo’es round to ee Incurable him?"—Harper's Magazine. a > = “Pap is gittin’ kinder discouraged,” ‘ remarked Hiram Wayback. “Waat do you think of the acoustics, . . “How so?” asked the neighbor, Mrs. Nurich?” whispered her neighbor. Sympathetic Gentleman. Can't 1 DO “Wa-al, he's pasted nigh onto ten “Oh, IT don't mix in them religions SOMETELNG TO MARE MIM. 8708 CRYING thousand medical recipes into a book fee body bin | Sister: Ves, SiR; IF YoU WILL PLEAsr: use es , ris squabbles, Let everybody worship in die sie tate inD CHE nis LiTwE durin’ the last forty years, an’ he ain't their own way, I say."—Tit-Bits. KITTEN, had a sick day yet.”—Livingston Lance, is published every Thursday, simultaneously in the United States, Great Britain, Lire is for sale by all newsdealers in Great Britain and may be obtained from book Canada and British Powessions.”"$s.co a year in advance, Additional postage to sellers in all the. principal cities In ‘the world. ‘The forega. trade supplied {roa foreign countries in the Postal Union, $1.04 @ year; to Canada, s2 cents, Single cur Lire’s London Office, Rolls House, Breams Buildings, London, E. C, rent copies, 10 cents, Back numbers, after three months from date of publication, No contribution will be returned unless accompanied by ‘stamped and addressed 25,cents.” issues prior to rota out of prin envelope. Lire docs not hold itself responsible for the loss or nowreturn of wnse The text and illustrations in Live are copyrighted. For Reprint Rights in Great Britain _licited contributions. apply to Lave, Rolls House, Breams Bu dings, Fetter Lane, London, E. C., England. Prompt notification should be sent by subscribers of any change of address. Give YOUR Lawn |! xs. test tiles for : , BD Geld with rail and handies and exquisitely engraved bottom ROPER lawn care this season will count greatly toward a per- SGker elthe taut qualty SheficUy bokis ro bint. Prien. manently beautiful sward. Start your lawn care right this year. Secomnlete, with six crystal elases This summer use the Ideal, the lawn mower that pushes itself. You Shaker atvant can give your lawn fwice the usual amount of care, more efficiently and Tray aloe. more economically, too, The Ideal Junior Power Lawn Mower for 1916 offers all the fea- ' tures on which Ideal has built its splendid reputation, with many new ? Unusual Ideas refinements and improvements—simple, reliable clutch; automobile throttle control; gearless diffcrential, It stands unexcelled in the ficld § THE. only objection to of lawn mowing machines. 4 buying wedding pres- rit I, ents at Ovington’s is that Write to us for full particulars—now, while H) you will be tempted to buy making your plans for a beautiful lawn, ‘80 many things for yourself The Ideal Power Lawn Mower Company " . | [) Sead for the Ovington Gift Book | R. E. OLDS, Chairma 408 Kalamasse Street OVINGTON’S | aa } See eet El 314 Fitth Avenue . trered and green wih whe Nee vee Bi es are the ‘end $2.00 27.50 Schaal golt bells, made to ree ve. Sain wide Jone deep, Hin. an, #4 s0 the pal 1. 208—Cat Ash Siand—Possy Bocguet baldsspoctel plak ertice [| tes ofl your cigar when idboa with scisvors and bobbie is pall ber inches high. $3 09 comicbooks.com