Life, 1917-11-15 · page 11 of 40
Life — November 15, 1917 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top Cartoon ("Birds of a Feather")**: Depicts two figures walking a tightrope above a crowded street scene. The cartoon illustrates the article about Mr. Daniels and Mr. Osborne, apparently naval administrators reforming Portsmouth prison. The "tightrope" metaphor suggests they walk a precarious line between reform efforts and avoiding professional conflict—they must "avoid the disagreement which proverbially threatens two of a trade." **Bottom Cartoon ("The Bug")**: Shows a life insurance solicitor as a bug attempting to interest a sleeping pilgrim in life insurance. The joke plays on the solicitor as an irritating "bug" and the pilgrim's dismissal that he doesn't need insurance "at any moment"—dark humor about mortality and persistent salesmanship. Both pieces use visual metaphor to satirize institutional and commercial pressures of early 20th-century American life.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER Mr. Daniels and Mr. Osborne UT it down that Secretary’ Daniels is a good boss to Thomas Mott Osborne. He has let him turn the Ports- mouth naval prison upside down and make it over, and apparently it is an excellent job, and one that needed doing. Mr. Daniels has a passion for reform. So has Mr. Os- borne. Mr. Daniels loves especially to reform the fortunate, Mr. Osborne the unfortunate. So they are probably able to avoid the disagreement which proverbially threatens two of a trade. Erroneous R. SPRINKY: There's one thing I object to in our national song. Teascune Patnior (glaring): What, sir? Me. Srrinky: Who heard of a New Yorker get- ting up in time to sce our flag “by the dawn's early light"? Come on, let's go, Bill! Don't you Fisst TURKEY: that pilgrim loading his gun to shoot us? Seconp Turkey: Stick around, kid. It’s safe. Can't you sce that that pilgrim is wearing skirts? ARVEYIZED ste¢l and Hooverized menus will win the war. The Bug ( Insurance Solicitor): EXCUSE ME, MR. FLY, BUT COULDN'T 1 WRITE YOU SOME LIFE INSURANCE? YOU MIGHT NEED IT AT ANY MOMENT, comicbooks.com