Life, 1917-02-15 · page 39 of 42
Life — February 15, 1917 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**The Main Cartoon:** "The Endurance Test" (top left) shows a man sitting while a woman stands, apparently lecturing him. The joke satirizes marriage or domestic relationships—the "endurance test" being a wife's patience or her ability to tolerate her husband's behavior. **Thomas Jefferson Reference:** Below this is a humorous aside: Jefferson, drafting the Declaration of Independence, pauses after writing "When in the course of human events" to order a standing subscription to *Life* magazine. This is self-promotional satire—a joke about *Life's* own importance and wit. **The Main Feature:** "A Bee-Line to Everyone" is an advertisement for American Telephone and Telegraph Company, using nationalist rhetoric about the telephone's role in American progress. It emphasizes universal service and the telephone's superiority to railroads for reaching individuals. **"The Height of Folly":** A satirical essay (bottom) cataloging famous "trails" people foolishly climb—Eve's, Cain's, Judas's, Ananias's—ending with people falling into poverty and disgrace. The page mixes humor, advertising, and moral commentary typical of early 20th-century *Life* magazine.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE ENDURANCE TEST The Latest Books (Continued from page 272) “Baldy of Nome” (The Penn Publish- ing Company, Philadelphia, $1.75) much to their liking. It is the story of a real dog, and is written with funda- mental dog knowledge and understand- ing. But the book’s little boys talk like curates in disguise, and the Spencerian spirit of the copy-book is on every page. J. B. Kerfoot, HOMAS JEFFERSON was just making the first draft. When he had finished the words “When in the course of human events” he paused and directed his body-servant to go to the nearest newsdealer and leave a standing order for Live. | Great Western Champagne *‘Brut Special 1903"" ‘‘Special Reserve” fabsolutely brut) (very dry) Micke 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 — Gy Paris Exposition, 1889, France hd ol Leal Bruzelles Exposition, 1910, Belgium Vienna Exposition, 1873, Austria Bruzelles Exposition, 1897, Belgium Paris Exposition, 1867, France IWrite for our tree Ninstrated Booklet which tells how Champagne is made. ba | Pleasant Valley Wine Company Rheims, N. Y. Oldest and largest producers of Champagne in America ACARDI tryit: MAKES THE PERFECT COCKTAIL, HIGHBALL OR RICKEY. Folder containing recines of famous Bacardi drinks eee s galled om request D.s prsoxeu. itr" Water Street, New York Straight as the bee flies and quick as though caught by lightning the | voice in the telephone carries near and far over this Nation. This marvelous instrument is the pre-eminent vehicle of speed and speech. Railroads cover the country, but your traveler often must alight with bag and baggage and change trains to get toa given point. Railroads reach cities, towns and villages. The telephone reaches the individual. The telephone offers continuous passage for the voice and unbroken connections tothe uttermost places be- cause it is a united System co-ordi- Everyone nated to the single idea of serving the entire people of this country. It has been a powerful factor, along with the transportation systems, in the magnificent achievements of the United States—helping to prepare the way where latent possibilities of mines, forests and farmswere to be developed. The continued growth of our national prosperity depends in a great measure upon the maintenance and continued growth of the utilities which furnish the means of intercourse and interchange. They are the indispen- sable servants of the individual, the community and the entire nation. . AMERICAN TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH COMPANY AND ASSOCIATED COMPANIES One System Universal Service The Height of Folly HE Height of Folly is the most famous mountain in all the world. highest of all mountains, everybody manages to climb it at some time or other. Though it is the Indeed, so many people have climbed it since the time Eve went up after the apple, that to-day it is grooved with numerous trails. Eve's Trail, C in's Trail, Dives’ Trail, Judas’ Trail and Ananias’ Trail are among the most popular, judging from their smooth condition. The never-ending ascension of fools is an unusual object lesson. The top of the Height of Folly is so small and slippery that the successful climbers are constantly being precipitated headlong into the regions beyond. Some land on the Rocks of Poverty, others in the River of Contrition, the Forest of Obscurity, the Meadow of Wisdom, the Field of Shame, and not a few in the Abyss of Eternal Death Edmund J, Kiefer comicbooks.com