Life, 1916-08-17 · page 31 of 38
Life — August 17, 1916 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page blends patriotic poetry, historical anecdote, and advertising. **The Poetry ("Heroes"):** McLandburgh Wilson's verse celebrates both soldiers fighting for "Uncle Sam" and civilian "heroes" performing everyday duties—a wartime morale-boosting message emphasizing that heroism exists on the home front too. **The Historical Anecdote ("Pere Ma Gave half to an Indi"):** The Father Marquette story illustrates how sharing practical knowledge (shaving) builds cross-cultural friendship. It's a colonial-era tale of ingenuity and generosity. **The Gillette Advertisement:** This hijacks the Marquette anecdote to market safety razors. It argues that modern men carry Gillettes as standard equipment, just as Marquette's innovation impressed the Chief. The ad also references underarm shaving as an "athletic" hygiene trend spreading among active men. **The Ambassador Item:** Notes Walter Page's diplomatic service in London during WWI and his upcoming home leave—framed as deserved rest after difficult work. The page mixes edification, nostalgia, and commerce typical of *Life*'s approach.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Lgl Lgl ial © oot oe FAITH, SOAP AND CHARITY Heroes EADY with his eager life Enemies to quell ; Risking all for Uncle Sam, Facing shot and shell; Bound to march on any foe, Though the road be rough, Cheer for Johnny Leg Away, Made of hero stuff! Yet remember while we thrill To the tramping feet, In the breasts of stay-at-homes Soldier hearts may beat. Battles of the commonplace Rage to struggle through; Cheer for Johnny Peg Away— He's a hero too! McLandburgh Wilson. Great Western fay Champagne Extra Dry” (medium) Produced by the old French slow method of fermentation in the bottle taking from six lo seven years of time. Great Western is the Only American Champagne ever awarded a Gold Medal at Foreign Expositions. Paris Exposition, 1900, France 1889, France 1910, Belgium Vienna Exposition, 1873, Austria Bruxelles Exposition, 1897, Belgium Paris Exposition, 1867, France Write for our tree Hinstrated Booklet twhich tells how Champagne is made. Pleasant Valley Wine Company Rheims, N. Y. Oldest and largest producers of Champagne in America Pere Ma Gave half TACOLER, IATHER Marquette once won the Fisics friendship of a powerful Indian Chief by an odd service. The habit of the Indians was to remove the few hairs of their beards by stoically pulling them out. This Chief had been Marq. ~ him half of his own hone and taught him how to use it. To appreciate a good shaving edge, just travel for a time without one. Twenty miles from a razor is an awkward place for a man with a two days’ growth of beard. Nowadays, a man packs his Gillette in his traveling bag or carries it in his pocket. The sign, “This shop closed on Sundays,” has no terrors for him. The Gillette is almost as universal as the comb and brush. When you spend a week-end at a modern house you find a Gillette on your dressing table as part of your bathroom fittings. The Gillette shave is velvet-smooth, no matter how wiry the beard or tender the skin. A keen, fresh blade is always ready. Prices $5 to $50. Blades SOc. and $1 the packet. Dealers every- where, GILLETTE SAFETY RAZOR CO. BOSTON It was the athlete who started the custom of shaving under the arm—a measure of cleanliness and comfort that is becoming as general as the shower among men everywhere who follow the outdoor eports or any form of vigorous exercise. KNOWN THE WORLD OVER Change of Air for an Ambassador FTER two very hard years fol- lowing one not so hard, Ambas- sador Walter Page is coming home for a month's respite. No doubt his native air will be good for him. It must be very hard to live long in London in these times and not become more saturated with the local atmosphere than an ambassador should be. Mr. Adams lived five or six years in London in Civil War times without coming home, but he was protected from saturation by the fact that Eng- lish society was hostile to him and his cause. Mr. Page has not been so protected. He has done a vast deal of work for us and for all the belligerent nations, and has done it more than acceptably. Here's hoping he may have a profit- able holiday. comicbooks.com