Life, 1916-06-22 · page 38 of 48
Life — June 22, 1916 — page 38: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertisements and travel promotions** interspersed with a humorous short story by John Kendrick Bangs. ## The Story's Satire The narrative features a fictional encounter between a newspaper correspondent covering a Senate debate and the ghost of **Julius Caesar**. Caesar praises the modern debate's "freedom" and "unrestrained" nature, explaining his admiration stems from gratitude—Rome was once saved by "the cackling of the geese." The joke operates on multiple levels: Caesar's comparison of Senate speeches to meaningless goose noise satirizes **Congressional verbosity and ineffectiveness**. His gratitude for chaos that accidentally prevented disaster mocks the notion that endless talking somehow serves democracy. The story ends absurdly when the correspondent's pen drips onto a sleeping senator below, revealing the whole encounter was a dream—suggesting the entire debate was as insubstantial as a hallucination. ## Context for Modern Readers This reflects early 20th-century American skepticism toward legislative processes—a common target in *Life*'s satirical commentary on politics and institutions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
on OKi on eO Hone Ouse The White Mountains of New Hampshire The secret of White Mountain air is high altitude and the balm of spruce and pine. It restores tired nerves, gives you a new appetite, makes you over. Thrilling mountain scenery, mile-high peaks, r00-mile views. Days of health and gladness, nights of wonderful sleep, Brilliant social life Unsurpassed hotels, best of boarding houses at moderate rates. 10 hours from New York Summer train schedule tn effect June yo. vernous hogshead full of giant The Correspondent of the ated Press Association was ing to take the debate down in shorthand, or at least make reason- able notes of it for the morrow's dis- patches, and so somnolently absorbed in his strenuous task was he that for a moment he failed to notice a strange, archaic figure that materialized like a mist in human form in the chair beside him. An occasional suppressed chuckle, Send for booklet C For booklets and information address VACATION BUREAU 171 Broadway, Room 117 New York City however, from his mysterious neighbor soon attracted his attention, and he turned with an ejaculation of surprised pleasure. “Well, by all the gods of high Olympus!" he cried.“ Lf this isn't good old Julius Cesar, | miss my guess!” “You recognize me, then?” said the shady intruder with a smile. “T sure do!” replied the Corre- spondent. “That rent in the back of your toga made by the envious Casca has run so many nights on the Amer- ican stage that I can tell it a mile off. It yawns almost as widely as I do when I attend a modern play. How do you like this debate?” “Tt is magnificent!” replied Czsar, with a surprising enthusiasm, “I have sat here absolutely entranced with the wonder of it all. It is so free, so unrestrained, so full of naive impertinency—" “Well, really, now,” said the Corre- spondent, “you rather surprise me, Sire. I should have thought that a man of your imperious will would have found this everlasting exasperating to the highest degree. “No, it isn't that,” said Cesar. “I profoundly respect the thing itself. 1 used in my palmiest hours to let the Senators nd talk, and talk, wit out imposing any restraints as to time and manner, not because they inter- ested me, but out of sheer gratitude.” “Gratitude?” echoed the Corre- spondent. “What under the canopy, my dear Julius, has gratitude got to do with an interminable verbal debauch like unto this?” “T cannot ever forget, my dear Cor- respondent of the Amalgamated Press Associatic replied Cxsar, his voice trembling with emotion, “that my own beloved City of Rome was once saved from destruction by the cackling of the geese!” At this point the Correspondent of the Amalgamated Press Association dropped his fountain pen to the floor. and as its contents trickled down over the head of Senator Whangdoodle on the floor below, he awoke, and when he looked about him for Czxsar, lo, that Imperial Spook had vanished into the great unknown. John Kendrick Bangs. A National Campaign | THIS IS YOUR | CHANCE TO HELP) | Send 25 cents in stamps for the song | (One Step) “America Prepare” the proceeds to go for AMERICAN MOTOR AMBULANCE | Elizabeth de S. Day NATIONAL CHAIRMAN 89 Hudson St., N. Y. City Will you become chairman in your city? | ed Ccomicbooks.com