Life, 1920-11-04 · page 16 of 60
Life — November 4, 1920 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two distinct pieces: **Top section** ("Personal"): A humorous anecdote about an old doctor retiring and selling his practice. The story satirizes ethical inconsistency—the new owner's allopath (traditional doctor) borrows folk remedies from Christian Science neighbors and calls in carpenters for home repairs rather than proper professionals, contradicting claims of medical ethics. The ex-private's quoted comment mocks the hypocrisy. **Bottom cartoon** ("Mr. Strong Arm Calls a Meeting of His Creditors"): This appears to be political/social satire. "Strong Arm" likely represents a labor figure or powerful businessman literally summoning creditors, depicted as small, distressed figures amid rubble and chaos. The image suggests mockery of how powerful economic actors treat their financial obligations. Both pieces critique 1920s attitudes toward professionalism and business ethics.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Turkey: WHERE CAN 1 GET A COSTUME LIKE YOURS? Peacock: DO YOU ADMIRE IT SO MUCH? “NO. 1 NEED A DISGUISE FOR THE WEEK BEFORE THANKSGIVING.” Personal HE campaign speaker had lavished oceans of oratorical up on the brave boys who fought in the ranks. “ And now,” he chanted, getting around to praise the officers, “let us not forget that other heroic figure; that one who, though wear- ing better clothes than you, was ever at your side, fighting like a mad wild-cat—yes, and making you fight like a mad wild-cat ; that one who planned every detail of your duty, gave you your orders and saw that you obeyed them; that one who, in the lonely night watches, ever spurred you on in your weary march ; that one who, for your good, tolerated no loafing, no disrespect ; that one who—” Gosh!” muttered ex-private O'Brien in an awed whisper. “That guy's a wizard. I didn’t know he'd ever heard of my wife.” Ethical 1920 HE old Doctor, tired of bells, bottles and bandages, and still loving humanity, thought best to retire. So he sold his telephone number and his door bell, his cough mixture and the favorite pellets of all the country ‘round to a younger man, and bought in their place a small white cottage with a stiff old-fashioned knocker that wouldn't knock. Which was just as it should have been. Then the Doctor's wife discovered that in summer a soit- coal range was just about as comfortable to stand over as a erupting volcano, and bought a gas plate. Now, to bring up the stuff to put a tune into the tea kettle there had to be a hole in the kitchen floor, _ The carpenter came, but looked troubled. It was a job for the plumber. Two days later the plumber came and shook his head. It was the Gas Company's job. The gas man didn’t have an auger, and besides, it wasn’t his business to bore holes. The old allopath borrowed an auger from his Christian Science neighbor, and as he bent over it he mused: “We all learn too late. When that gas man wanted a tooth pulled one Sunday night, I shouldn't have taken my forceps with me; I'm no dentist. “When that plumber’s kids had the whooping cough last winter and his wife was laid up with a sprained ankle, I shouldn't have messed around the kitchen making plasters for ‘em; should have called a caterer. “When that carpenter called me to see his wife when she was so sick she couldn't get out of bed, and went off and for- got to put the key under the mat, I shouldn't have climbed in the basement window; should have sent for a burglar. “'Twasn't ethical!” MR, STRONG ARM CALLS A MEETING OF HIS CREDITORS XUM comicbooks.com