Life, 1920-01-01 · page 14 of 48
Life — January 1, 1920 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine contains two distinct pieces of satirical content: **"The Game" (left column):** A text essay with accompanying illustrations mocking bookkeeping and corporate fraud. It describes how businesses manipulate financial records—hiding losses, inflating profits, and deceiving stockholders and the public. The small illustrations show a businessman and what appears to be figures discovering deception. The satire targets corporate dishonesty and suggests that election promises about food prices won't prevent economic manipulation. **Main Cartoon (center-right):** Titled "Oh, Ma, Bring Your Slipper! Grandma's in the Jam!" shows a child calling upstairs while an elderly woman appears to be in a doorway. This appears to be domestic humor, likely poking fun at grandmothers and household situations, though the specific reference is unclear without more context. **"The Progress of Science" (right):** A humorous list of invented modern annoyances—X-rays, breath spectrum, wish telephone, etc.—satirizing technological "progress."
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Game OOKKEEP. rother, is the game that puts 1 profiteering When the the place where we prices of anything get to can't have it ex- Christmas cept on somebody ts busy, and a grand jury is impanelled and the public is told that the rectly Just now food of all kinds is out of It begins to look as though the yhody but John D. Rocke feller and J. PL Morgan will be able to eat pretty soon is election promises will tumble sight only th Accordingly, grand juries are get s busy They look Worst cases to start on, pick one out usually around for th look him up to see if he to the | didn't up the contributed election fund, and, if he to heat st off the notify the executione’ pincers and rack as a culprit will arrive shortly They call in the gentleman, as a mat- ter of form, while the clerk is writing up the indictment The culprit arrives with hand, rolls up his there ledger in ves to show that is nothing concealed about. the person, and no trickery, and opens the ledger From then on it is all off He proves conclusively that he lost ands of dollars last year, and only paid a half of a per cent. on the capital stock this year Of se he neglects the s Next year he is going to have to quit business hecause he losing ey already By this time the jury is in tears, and is taking collection to lift him from poverty After that the middlemen are to up a telling it “Men may blame, he ailing in come and men his private yacht Next, several assorted kinds of middlemen are gone after, with a like result. farmer has learned book nd the soulless corporations th him down money for ma chiner and seed are to blame rations pass the buck to of food. After a few circles like these the grand jury is as dizzy as a party in Maine, and gives it up. Up go the prices Figures never lie, but accounting can dress up the truth so. its mother would chase it out of the yard If poor old Captain Kidd had had a good knowledge of accounting, he not only n that he running his ships at a loss, but would own would have show was S THE yaw!" sed philantt The Progress of Science Bloorey tion stools are is the mother of inven Thumbscrews and ducking gone, but here are a few thirst X-ray breath spectrum ¢ wish dictaphone sible thought-catcher. clamp. The joy tax HERE who say they cannot get a drink. are none so blind as those comicbooks.com