Life, 1920-06-24 · page 23 of 41
Life — June 24, 1920 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents satirical commentary on early 20th-century American life through multiple formats. The top illustration depicts a shipwreck labeled "AS IT PROBABLY HAPPENED," accompanying a humorous narrative about a businessman named Dolby who becomes delirious after a weekend visit, repeatedly muttering about "the dust" and "the Fords"—likely referencing Ford automobiles and the dust they kick up, reflecting contemporary anxieties about reckless motorists. Below are three brief satirical pieces: "At the Concert" mocks chattering concert-goers who talk through performances; "Be thrifty!" offers ironic financial advice; and "Brief Cases" collects one-liners on modern social problems—automobile accidents and "joy riders," business ethics, wealth inequality, and consumerism. The illustration at bottom, "RETURN OF THE PURITANS TO ENGLAND," remains unclear without additional context but appears to reference historical or political commentary. Overall, the page satirizes contemporary urban anxieties: dangerous automobiles, economic inequality, deteriorating social manners, and conspicuous consumption.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
AS IT PROBABLY HAPPENED On Sunday the dust is something fear- “And the Fords!” eleven o'clock he was rapidly grow- he muttered. vorse, A headache was coming on. s mind was going over it and over 1 over it. el chilly,” he whispered hoarsely “T've got a fever.” \t one o'clock he was home. send for the doctor,” he said to the fauhful maid. The doctor came at two. Dolby was delirious. y half a cent,” he chuckled. “ Give more mushrooms! I must have em! 1 eat ‘em alive. ter! faster! Yes, I know an- r one better than that Let me drive— It was uta man: Keep him quiet,” said the doc- “Wire his wife. These busi- s fiends! They all break down ne day. Every two hours.” You poor boy,” said his wife next morning, “why can’t I cver leave you alone in safety? Now tell me, what did you do to bring this on?” “IT went to a week-end at Mait- land Green's.” “How dreadful! you go?” When did Dolby shuddered, even as he straight- ened up with a reminiscent horror. “On Saturday," he replied, “ between the hours of nine a, at. and one p. T.. At the Concert ME: BLATTER: Are there any cli- maxes in the next overtu : Mrs. Cnatter: There are several places where you can't hear yourseli talk. thrifty! Remember that a dollar saved is a quarter earned. Brief Cases HE overall movement seems to be about all over. With the approach of the vacation season, farmers expecting to entert boarders are brushing up on their dialects Hitch your wagon to a star, but don’t be afraid to get out occasionally and put your shoulder to the wheel. Money talks, but it doesn’t buy any- thing any more. After few more ghastly automobile accidents, “joy riders” may begin to ask themselves what's in a name. Few men succeed in concealing their own egotism by calling at- tention to it in others. Now is the time for all rich men to come to the aid of their party, The young man in business who drags down his salary can't ex- pect the firm to raise Above all things else, a man hates another man who tells the same lics as himself. LL me what you eat and I will tell you what you are paying too much for. comicbooks.com