Life, 1920-06-17 · page 11 of 45
Life — June 17, 1920 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This sketch depicts two working-class men—a "Striker" and an "Agitator"—discussing labor conditions. The Striker complains about his job being overwhelming, while the Agitator responds with revolutionary rhetoric about "building the whole world anew." The satire mocks radical labor organizers who offer grand ideological solutions to workers' immediate, practical problems. The Striker's response—"Just thinks of it! Perhaps I had better go back and finish that house"—suggests workers find such abstract revolutionary talk ridiculous when they have concrete jobs to complete. This reflects early 20th-century Life magazine's skepticism toward socialist and communist agitation among American workers, positioning such activism as disconnected from ordinary laborers' actual concerns and priorities.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
I've got a clipping here. I'll read you a (Reads.) “Watercolor, by Man in a boat in a boat. Bow wow. adrink . . 2 a Oh, lookidy coon!" Pretty specimer r Watercress. a drink t W.: Ye-es, I suppose so. He's jendid notices. . . . I don’t want to between you and me, Walter, sort of thing just a litth—well, C. W.: Possibly, Bobbie, pos- (Exasperated.) But, good Lord! you young fellows any respect at tradition—no love for the old Cc. W.: Bosh! You talk like a « sentimental fossil. Oh, Water- < all right. I dare say he'll be run- aper column in another three he’s not modern, that's all. © this new thirteen-months won- wo COW. What's his name? Finest C. W. (scornfully) : any name. He hasn't been christened yet. But he’s there. Listen to this: “Goo Goo Ah Goo, Ah Goo Ah Goo Goo; Goo Goo ¢ \h Goo Ah Goo, Goo!” srcoxp CW. Did he compose that? KF CW He did. Great, eh? sicoxn C. We: Wonderful! And only irteen months! What a future! Fuer C Wer Ye-es, possibly. But he's ting old. Now, ago I ve staked my reputation as a Oh, yes! I've heard— He hasn't (eagerly) : two months You make too modern. W.: Oh, get out You're entirely prepares to depart.) Come along ve to luncheon, Tam going to ad- i meeting of the Society of Ad- ure Thought Advanced pure thought? ght! Not for me! (He escapes « toward the oatmeal and fresh ur.) ww CW. (si Dear, dear! Time certainly does hing, as he takes his I never grasped the truth of It’s youngsters like Bobbie that us poor old fellows hustle. Dear, Curtain Henry William Hanemann, \" used to say, “Let's have one more little drink and we'll all go home.” Now we say, “ Let's all go home and have oue more little drink.” Te eS Fi f TOO MUCH OF A JOB «Agitator: Striker Notice LL children found running loose on will be taken to the pound. Families who allow their pet dogs to have children for playmates must see that the latter are properly leashed and licensed. the streets WE MUST BUILD THE WHOLE WoRLD ANEW! JUST THINK OF IT! PERHAPS 1 HAD BETTER CO BACK AND FINISIL THAT HOUSE. Sanguine ILLIS: 1 see by the paper that it is raining oil in China Gituis: Well, 1 shouldn't That's probably the bottom falling out of one of those Texas oil wells that L beught stock in, wonder! comicbooks.com