Life, 1917-09-20 · page 35 of 40
Life — September 20, 1917 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The page contains a satirical poem by Arthur Guiterman celebrating Connecticut's industrial heritage and virtuous character. It praises the state's founders and workers—referencing Eli Whitney (cotton gin), Noah Webster (dictionary), and P.T. Barnum—for their ingenuity and moral steadiness rather than frivolous pursuits. The poem defends Connecticut against charges of greed, specifically mocking historical scandals involving "shoe-peg oats and wooden nutmegs" (fraudulent exports that damaged the state's reputation). The accompanying cartoon below the poem (showing a caricatured figure) reinforces the satirical tone, though its specific subject is unclear from the visible portion. The Edison Mazda lamp advertisement positioned alongside promotes electrical efficiency for household tasks, exploiting the era's fascination with electrification as modernization—a ironic counterpoint to the poem's nostalgia for Connecticut's industrious past.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
positively a. if used d consis ly relieves Because they never took much stock in meddling. Beeause they ploughed their fields and hoed th corn, Ur spent their week-days making clocks or peddling, Reeause they went to chureh each Sabbath morn Instead of catching trout or shooting rabhits, Their State i “the Land of Steady . \nd Eli Whitney built the cotton- And Noah Webster built the book Tm using eM some words your eye shall meet herein How sweet to while away the hours perusing That Tome of English undefiled and pure, The Corner-stone of all our Litera- ture! And countless others lit the furnace fires And toiled with skillful hands and daring minds Britannia metal, rifles, watches, tires, Machines for sewing, corsets, win dow-blinds, Elastics, woolens, iron pipes and gut- ters— How much we owe to keen © cutters! They lie that charge the State with greed for pelf— With shoe-peg oats and wooden nut- megs—darn fem! 1 know, 1 I dwelt there once \ fellow-citizen of PLT. Barnum, And hereby lay a matison upon MI future puns about “the State of Con."! etrthur Guitermas “ Lare—and the world laughs with vou: Weep, and you weep alone.” The Way to Lighter Housework UT Edison MAZDA Lamps in sockets now containing old carbons. You'll get brighter ht and save two-thirds of the current. You can then do your ironing, cleaning, wash- ing, toasting and percolating electrically, without feeling the cost for current. EDISON LAMP WORKS OF GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY Harrison, N. J. BACKED BY MAZDA SERVICE comicbooks.com