Life, 1918-08-15 · page 8 of 36
Life — August 15, 1918 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes early 20th-century American urban and social conditions through literary and contemporary references. The main text parodies Dante's *Inferno*, using it to critique modern city life—specifically "this big town" (likely New York), with its subways, tenements, and social problems. The dialogue between "Virgil Hearst" and "John Hylan" appears to reference William Randolph Hearst (the newspaper magnate) and John Hylan (NYC mayor), using them as guides through urban "hell." The three small cartoons at bottom left show "The Growth of Kultur"—progressive facial expressions suggesting mockery of German cultural pretensions, likely WWI-era commentary. The two illustrated vignettes on the right depict domestic scenes with bawdy captions about soldiers and romantic encounters, typical of Life's humorous social commentary of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Dante’s Infemo Up to Date Virgil Hearst Conducts Dante Hylan Through the Shades of the Nether World AUSING, I looked high above me, and discerned A Tammany politician, his eyes gleaming at me In the darkness, and guarding the unknown cave of Patronage and spoils Whereat my guide, smiling, Bade me cast fear aside, and spoke thus, calmly “Be assured that this Manhattan, with its sufferers grim You see in subways, and movie fiends chained In the semi-darkness, and the seething mass Of stockbrokers shouting in their daily anguish, While the cold slums lie about, and all The agonizing crew of social pests and sycophants— This big town is nothing to this here country as a whole— To which I cater with my contumelious yellowism, Not to mention my anti-British and pro-German currents.” To which I hastened nimbly to reply: “ Ah, brother, I am with you there! John Hylan never Will go back on his dear Virgil Hearst. But say! What else is there for us in other states?” He smiled and took me by the hand, leading me Straightway to Milwaukee, where pro-Germans, Deprived of beer, were writhing in their extremity And passing off in clouds of steam, And then He led me to a Chicago intellectual-horrific sight !— Strutting the Lakeside as a genuine highbrow. “Can this thing be?” I said, shuddering, at which Beatrice Brisbane, smoothing my classic brow, Laved me with one of his dope screeds. Thenceforth We passed to Kansas. The great yellow shade Beside me, whom Champ Clark in his own lifetime Declared the loftiest publisher in the nether world, Paused in true Kansas contemplation, and thus apostro- phized Himself: “Thou, O Virgil Hearst, I am for thee, And spread my daily camouflage of patriotic Gush that thou, O Hearst, mayest run For office, or any other old thing redounding to The country’s shame. I’m for thee—that is, for myself!” This moving me, John Hylan, I threw my arms About my Virgil Hearst, around us a frigid zone Of distrust and gathering contempt, which every Tribune maketh more evident—and swore Never to desert him. Thus we passed on, down, Down, down, down, and still down and down To the sodden abyss of the lower regions! “] HEAR that Whittier, when he took his family away on a railroad trip, had a rush of blood to the head and keeled over” “No. He keeled over from a rush of money away from the pocketbook.” Pat ah wy Yoe< rs THE GROWTH OF KULTUR? Hanaasen:Cary Soldier Bird: ct CITED FOR DROPPIN THIS IS WHERE GUNNER SPARROW GETS HEAVY SHELLS ON THE GERMAN FRONT. RMY CONTRACTOR'S VERSION: “TI could not love thee, dear Columbia, so much, loved I not money Boston Girl: po YOU MIND IF J GO RIGHT ON KNITTING, ROBERT?