Life, 1920-02-19 · page 39 of 48
Life — February 19, 1920 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines two distinct elements: a satirical story and a product advertisement. **The Story ("The Profiteer Who Went to Heaven"):** A morality tale mocking wartime profiteers—businessmen who exploited shortages to raise prices dramatically. The protagonist dies and finds even heaven's amenities (harps, wings, crowns) are now unaffordable due to inflation he caused. St. Peter ultimately sends him to hell, concluding with the Latin phrase "Sic semper profityrannis" ("Thus always to tyrants"). The satire targets greedy wartime merchants who exploited scarcity. **The Advertisement:** Beeman's Pepsin Chewing Gum occupies the right half, claiming the product aids digestion by stimulating saliva. It targets "business men and business women" whose efficiency suffers from poor digestion—an ironic placement beside a story condemning profiteers, though the ad itself makes no such critique. The juxtaposition is typical of *Life*'s satirical format: pointed social commentary paired with period advertising, creating unintended comedic contrast.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Profiteer Who Went to Heaven (Continued from page 328) “How about a crown or a harp?” ured the Profiteer, after a short - “A harp would at least g-give me alittle exercise.” <['m sorry,” replied the Superintend- ut the price of harps has been raised. The best harps cost tues now, with only five cr cent. oft for cash, And of course ‘thing it the best would satisfy you” \gain there was silence. “A pair of wings would be some protectic began the Profiteer, but St Peter cut him short. “Wings are absolutely out of the eetion, ‘They've risen so in’ price hily that we've canceled all orders . a sorry, Hut = This time the Profiteer was. silent } Common Sense nite a while ' “See here!" he cried finally, when } e e the cold had become unendurable } an 1gestion » back. - I'm not. particular ; ¢ in the topmost heaven. 1 H a . . rant to get warm.” } Ihe routine. use. of Beeman’s Pepsin “Ah! I'm afraid we can’t go back,” is cers . : replied St. Peter, gravely. “We had |} Chewing Gum ten minutes after each apass on the way up, but travel’s gone ately, Tickets cost meal aids digestion by stimulating the freimtussia.amite-now., “There's only flow of saliva which ‘is so essential for the coe place you can go from here free ao of cost.” proper digestion of food. “Where is that?” demanded the Profiteer. eagerly. St. Peter pointed ominously down- | Business men and ‘business women ward. For a moment the Profiteer was . sent often attribute to other causes a decrease “Well,” he said finally, “if it must . : : as te, I'd rather go below than freeze up | in their efficiency, when it is really due bere without a robe or a harp. The . od . i be vena ate cae | to aslight indigestion resulting from hasty “Come tt said the Superin- tendent d he led him to one corner of the street, raised a manhole and dropped him down it, mastication and insufficient saliva. As he turned away, he muttered: “Sie semper profityrannis.” Villiam Wallace Whitelock. American Chicle Company New York Cleveland Chicago Kansas City San Francisco Rochester I'D LIKE TO GET A COOK.” BREAKFAST, LUNCHEON OR DINNER?” comicbooks.com