Life, 1920-09-09 · page 18 of 44
Life — September 9, 1920 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces: 1. **Top illustration**: Shows children preparing manuscripts for publication—satirizing the proliferation of young writers and publishing during this period. 2. **"What's in a Name?"**: A brief joke where a society seeking a venue is rejected because it's "The Athletes' Mountain Climbing Association"—likely mocking the era's abundance of specialized clubs and organizations with grandiose names that didn't match their actual activity or prestige. 3. **"Towards the End"**: A longer satire on the "millennium" (year 1900 or similar turning point). It mocks amateur writing instructors and "how to write" guides that flooded the market, suggesting society could only achieve peace by eliminating all these self-appointed writing experts and their correspondence schools. 4. **"Bobbed"**: A brief joke about two college freshmen—the caption "WONDER IF THEY GO TO THE SAME BARBER?" plays on the "bobbed hair" trend among young women, suggesting the shorter hairstyle was increasingly common even among men or challenging traditional masculine appearance.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A BUSY SUMMER FOR THE LITTLE ONES PREPARING THEIR BOOKS FOR THE AUTUMN PUBLISHING What's in a Name? Towards the End “N°” said the agent to the owner. “That society I was HE approach of the millennium was characterized, not by speaking about decided not to hire that second-floor hall, any signs and wonders, but by the gradual betterment in after all, because the elevator doesn’t run evenings.” the condition of the people. It was not, however, until the re- “What society was it?” striction and then the abolishment of those who read all the “The Athletes’ Mountain Climbing Association.” short stories and tell us what they think are the best ones, that a more marked degree of tranquillity was observed. “Now that this has been so successfully accomplished,” said one man joyfully, “let us get after all the others (either with or without correspondence schools), who are telling everybody how to write short stories.” At first this was deemed impossible, as it would throw such a large proportion of the population out of work; but the people were firm. “ After all these weary years of reading short stories, which we have come to apprehend even before they have been turned out, we are entitled ‘to relief,” said they, dittle appreciating that | this would bring the millennium almost within a stone’s throw. IRST COLLEGE FRESHMAN: What sort of. a chap is Slithers? BOBBED Seconn Correct Fresuman: Not much; not much. I be- Smythe; WONDER IF THEY GO TO THE SAME BARBER? lieve he was graduated from some sort of a high school. comicbooks.comiy