Life, 1916-10-05 · page 31 of 42
Life — October 5, 1916 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page mixes editorial content with period advertisements. The main article celebrates "Nantucket's Town Dog" Harrigan—a public mongrel given unusual privileges (no license required, shelter at the police station and Union Club). The piece satirizes small-town civic pride by treating a stray dog as a respected community institution, highlighting how Nantucket's officials indulge this animal as a symbol of their town's character and generosity. Below, a brief anecdote jokes that Noah (from the Biblical flood) immediately sought out a *Life* magazine newsdealer upon leaving the ark, suggesting the publication's essential importance and the newsdealer's foresight in maintaining a "standing order" even during catastrophe. The bottom cartoon, "The Girl Who Weighed for Him," depicts a woman dramatically reacting—apparently having gained weight during her partner's absence. The humor trades on period anxieties about female appearance and male approval, typical of early 20th-century comic sensibilities.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
perfect he office “com. zardous > appli- cessary hee” require excited fire?” render ges or rm of wnic ess. Nantucket’s Town Dog Harrigan is the public dog. He is a mongrel, to be sure, but he belongs to the public and to no one else. Every- body knows Harrigan and knows nothing but good of him. That is why he has been permitted to roam about the streets as the public's dog for many years, un- molested and, unmolesting, minding his own affairs, keeping out of scraps, not barking at teams—simply living a dog's life and a life of ease, peace and con- tentment. Harrigan has special privileges, and does not even have to be licensed. He 1s perfectly at home in the police sta- tion, where be goes at night when it is too cold for him to sleep out on the streets, and he is just as welcome at the Union Club, where the town officials meet to play checkers and cards When he gets hungry he knows where to find plenty to eat, and by his peace able disposition he knows just how to wait patiently until he is fed. No one kicks him or throws stones at him. Everybody pats him and speaks to him and calls him “ Harrigan,” and he strolls about each day over his usual haunts— between Main Street and Steamboat Wharf—seldom venturing elsewhere, and seldom traveling faster than a walk. Harrigan is the public's dog—The In- quirer and Mirror, Nantucket, Mass. T' E first place Noah went when he left the ark was to the Ararat newsdealer’s, where he found all the copies of Lire that had been issued during the recent inundation. Noah was a foresighted patriarch and had left a standing order. “PEARLS” There's a daintiness to Neil Moret’s * Pearls” that trips and dances straight into the heart. But it takes a real pianist to interpret the elfish melody. Hear Gerdts play “Pearls” on RYTEMopr RECORD MUSIC ROLLS None but master pianists make Rythmodiks. And every hint of the artist's touch, phrasing, and singing- tone is brought out on the record. Ask yout music dealer to play the Gerdts Rythmodik of Pearls” aod you will want it for your piano player, Write for complete catategue and monthly bulletins of mew records. AMERICAN PIANO COMPANY 437 FIFTH AVENUE NEW YORK TIFFANY & CO, JEWELRY SILVERWARE STATIONERY HIGHEST QUALITY LARGEST VARIETY GREATEST VALUE THE TIFFANY BLUE BOOK GIVES PRICES It WILL BE SENT UPON REQUEST Fir TH AVENUE & 37" STREET New YorK WECOME Home THE GIRL WHO WEIGHTED FOR HIM