Life, 1919-08-21 · page 12 of 40
Life — August 21, 1919 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main cartoon depicts two wealthy people sheltering under an umbrella labeled "HIGH PRICES" while standing on a platform above floodwaters—a visual metaphor for how the rich insulate themselves from economic hardship during inflation or economic crisis. The accompanying text satirizes luck and social mobility, featuring exchanges between characters discussing whether success depends on fortune or individual effort. A "Native American" character makes a dark joke about survival options in corrupt American cities, while a "Newly Arrived Stranger" debates settling in different cities. The section "Advice to One Higher Up" mocks senators with condescending tips about handling them, suggesting political corruption or senators' perceived incompetence. "Natural Inference" presents a domestic joke about flooded cellars and cork bottles—mundane humor unrelated to the economic commentary above.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘Lt PE V//MLiiwr “LOCK said the a making a stealthy li effort to capture a crawllywog on his lettuce while he held the attention of his hostess with a glittering smile, “luck is a condition of the teloncephalon—it fluctuates— (Ah, you think to hide behind a leaf, do you, and camouflage yourself with gobs of mayonnaise!) “As I was saying, Mrs. Bryant— Ah, really, your dinner is so delicious, and the atmosphere so comforting, that I quite lose myself and forget what I'm talking about. Oh thank you!—luck fluctuates with the vibrations of the infin- dibulum— (There! Wretch, depart from me!) “The infindibulum, as I was saying, Mrs. Bryant— (He's gone into my potatoes!) “Ah, yes, the infindibulum— (Now, while she isn’t looking! Ah, I'm rid of him! But, oh, hor- rors! he has leaped into Mrs. Brya What—) “Oh, yes, yes-s-s, Mrs. Bryant, to put it in plain language—quite the language of the streets, I might say—some are born lucky, (She's drink- ing it!) “Some achieve luck— (It is all over. The crawllywog is gone!) “ And, as I was about to say, Mrs. Bryant, some have luck thrust upon them.” EWLY ARRIVED STRANGER: I can't make up my mind whether to settle in New York, Washington or Chicago. Native AMERICAN: It's all a matter of choice. It depends upon whether you prefer to be mur- dered by a gunman, shot by a negro or clubbed to death by the police. “were!” Advice to One Higher Up B gentle to the senators. Do not annoy them by poking them with Parisian umbrellas. Do not feed them with foreign substances or South American nuts. Remember that too ciose confine- ment in patriotic air has made them peevish. They are not used to the freedom of the seas or that larger, more cosmopolitan idea of making the world safe for hypocrisy. Pat them gently on the back and rub their fur the right w: Take them out for a little run occasionally. And keep away from their hind legs. Natural. Inference ERRIBLE weather we're having; Jones says his cellar is flooded.” “Dear, dear! Did the corks come out?” comicbooks.co