Life, 1919-09-11 · page 12 of 48
Life — September 11, 1919 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two distinct cartoons satirizing labor and domestic life. **Top cartoon**: Shows two men in a physical altercation over what appears to be carpentry work. The accompanying text discusses "Successful Mechanic" and disputes about work methods—specifically how to drive screws properly. The satire targets working-class disagreements about trade practices and pride in one's craft. **Bottom cartoon**: Titled "Mr. Suburb: What's All the Crowd in the Drawing-Room? 'This is Bridget's Day at Home,'" depicts a domestic servant (Bridget, likely Irish given the stereotype) entertaining visitors in the drawing room while her employer observes. The joke satirizes class pretensions and the unusual sight of a servant being granted social time in the formal room—a humorous inversion of domestic hierarchy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
442 children’s sake. I was more content when I was a journeyman carpenter at a dollar a day and wore celluloid collars to save laundry.” “Of course,” said the C. C, a bit irritated, “we cannot ‘do everything. We cannot provide a sense of grati- tude. But you must have known of our Sunshine Club, of which I am president, It is the aim of that club to provide contentment. Celluloid col- lars!” The Successful Mechanic looked feebly embarrassed. But his wife said, “Speak out, Henary, and don’t mind The Successful Mechanic raised himself in his bed. “ All these years,” he said, “I've been on this job, forty- eight hours a week at first, and then forty-four. I've been startin’ screws in a board. I dunno where the board comes from or where it goes, or what the screw has to be there for; but tons and tons of screws, miles and miles of loards, and me takin’ a screw between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand, graspin’ a hammer in the palm of the right, tappin’ the screw smartly with the hammer, givin’ two turns with a screwdriver, and away it goes. It's all printed there on the board that hangs over my bench.” “ OF course,” said the Company Con- soler, “such methods are necessary in NOT LET DE VA Nene OB 55 Mr, Suburb: WHAT'S ALL THE CROWD IN THE DRAWING- ROOM ? “THIS IS BRIDGET’S DAY AT HOME.” ALERA AND CARSON SETTLE THE IRISH QUESTION THIS WAY? quantity production. By such work we are enabled to in- crease production, id do so much for our employees. It is all explained in Co-operative Leaflet No, -—” “T've seen it,” said the old man wearily. “J ain't on- grateful.” “Go on,” said the wife “Just once, before Gabriel blows the last noon-honr, I want to drive a screw into a board the way it ought to be druv, just as far as it will go. I'm an old fool, ain't The Company Consoler shrugged his shoulders and, looking across at the wife, tapped his forehead significantly. She hurried from the room, and came back in a moment carrying the dusty tool box which the Mechanic had used in the old days when he was a journeyman carperter at a dollar a day. With new energy the old man sat up in his bed. He opened the box and took from it with loving care a bit of board, a screwdriver, a hammer and a bright screw. He tapped the point into the block of wood and, seizing the screwdriver, turned the screw into the wood. A smile played over his face as he turned the handle with such energy that the screw squeaked again. When it was driven