Life, 1917-09-20 · page 30 of 40
Life — September 20, 1917 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces typical of early 20th-century Life magazine humor: **"True to Tradition"** and companion jokes mock Scottish frugality and domestic absurdity. A Scottish farmer visits town hearing repeated warnings about waste ("Mind the coal," "Don't waste food"). The punchline—his wife's portrait is actually "a portrait of myself at the age of twenty"—jokes about Scottish stinginess: he couldn't afford a proper portrait, so he used his own younger image. **"Got in First"** satirizes workplace power dynamics: an employee plans to demand a raise, but his boss preemptively complains about financial hardship, preventing the request—the boss "got in first." **The bottom cartoon, "Why He Lost Her Trade,"** shows a grocer refusing a customer's request for credit ("approval") on butter and potatoes. The humor targets the tension between customer expectations and merchant policy during an era when small-shop credit was common. The **Clysmic water advertisement** is period marketing for a mineral water product, unrelated to the humor above.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Unpalatable Truth | Visit to Simpkins, naturally, he was m. s. as he turned the e's second cousin's Sanderson was 0 and in due cours shown the family AvT MT Jelsyers S$}, A True to Tradition Donald MeMlister, a Seottish farm y or two, * Yes," said Sim leaves, “that’s ny w sunt Susan. And t d that's a friend of ours, 2 t's Cousin James, «1 that—oh, now, who do you think that is? “Don't know,” said Sanderson. “Well, that's my wife's first husband, my boy.” q “Great Seot! What a perfect brain- excuse me, old fellow. 1 didn't know your wife was x er, was xoing to own for ad do his d had a weary listening 10 the hundred and one gave her as to care and “Mind the coal," “ Don't raing ina Iner, Massie, waste any food,” * Don't sit up h less-looking idiot. ht.” ete. Finally he set off, moment he was back with a parting ad monition: * An, Mang there's young widew when you married her. said) Simpkins stitily, the as. See that he doesna wear his She wasn’t “That, sir, is a portrait of mysel spectacles when he’s 1: in’ or writin’, I's needless wear an’ 1 age of twenty."-—Tit-Bits. —Argonant, Got in First “Did you tell your boss that you'd He: I shall not x an unless she is my exact oppo: Sure You will never find so perfect simply have to have a raise? Did you a being as that.—Lon # Opinion. tell him that you were wearing last - year's clothes?” “Wury is their marriage to be sol- No. He forestalled me with a long 5 emnized ? ” % wail about the horrors of having to use | As soon as it has been financed. IP we'uboxna THe WAY wemreRD UST a last season's ear.” —Boston Transcript. APTER OUR MEST Clk ACCEPTS US Louisville Courier-Journal, fexdealerg in’ Great Tiritsin and may be obtained from book: and British Posse © registe I cities in the world. The trade supplied fren nce. Additional pc to foreign House, Bre : ents, Single current : ned ‘d and ad The text ani 4 illus ‘atio ns in Lire are ¢ rsvight ed. o1 Great Britain apply to Lire, Rolls H. , Englon | | | } | | Of Course | Because Clysmic is so far the } i aristocrat of sparkling waters that } | hospitality requires it to be on hand whenever one entertains. } | ‘| | 15 grains of Lithia Salts to the gallon | Sold everywhere in splits, pints and quarts only ] | Don’t accept ordinary waters | | [wiv=—7iu) | Insist on genuine KIEKING ONS TaEWTED | WHY HE LOST HER TRADE | Grocer: TUT, MADAM, T CAN'T SEND A QUARTER OF POUND OF RUTTER AND ONE POTATO PIETERS BLOCKS ON | APPROVAL. a