Life, 1920-12-16 · page 17 of 45
Life — December 16, 1920 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces from an early 20th-century American humor magazine: **"For the Trade"**: A poem mocking the prevalence of similar surnames (Jobsen/Jobs) among New York's business community, likely referencing immigrant merchants of Scandinavian or Jewish descent. **"Those Convenient Alibis"**: A boxing narrative contrasting two fighters before and after a match. The "After" section sarcastically notes that Walloper's victory over Puncher demonstrates how dissipation and poor training (implied: fast living and illness) devastate physical performance, while Walloper remains mediocre despite winning. **Bottom cartoons**: Two comic vignettes—one showing a wealthy woman dismissing an elderly gentleman's attempt at social interaction, and another depicting an aristocratic aunt instructing a child that servants, not children, should build snowmen, mocking upper-class pretension and servant-dependent household management. The humor targets social pretension, immigrant stereotypes, and class-based assumptions typical of early 1900s American satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“For the Trade” | A. SIGN on a window in Broadway, Where it’s crossed by the Franklin Street mobs, Serenely and simply announces The firm is a Josnen or Jons. I was never a mercantile jobber, So this thought through my cerebrum throbs : Are there folks in this city, I wonder, Who are Jorsexs or Jonsexs or Joss Those Convenient Alibis Before | O* the eve of their long-antici| battle, Walloper and Puncher are both in the pink of condition. Walloper | has been making a punching bag of his sparring partners, while Puncher is finding it difficult to get anyone who is willing to f him in his workouts. It would . be hard to find two more perfect speci- mens of physical manhood. Both are trained to the minute. After Walloper's decisive victory over Punch- The Old Gentleman: ANd WHAT'S YOUR NAME, MY DEAR? Miss Boston: NURSE, KINDLY INFORM THE GENTLEMAN I DON'T CARE TO BE ANTERVIEWED. er again demonstrates what dissipation and careless training will do for a man. Puncher was a mere shell of his former self. Fast living, together with a malady Had he been even a shadow of the man Essay on the Cocoanut with which he had been afflicted for he was two years ago the result would — ]T isn't the beauty nor the charm nor the eighteen months, had weakened him per- have been different, as Walloper was soft symmetry nor the fasci n nor the ceptibly. In addition to this, he under- and flabby, and has never been considered — evil nor the good nor the sublimity of the rated Walloper and neglected his training, more than a second-rater. Etc. Ete. cocoanut—it's the milk in it Aristocratic Aunt: PLEASE BEAR IN MIND, THEQUORE, WHILE YOU ARE VISITING US, IT WILL BE UNNECESSARY TO MAKE YOUR OWN SNOW MEN—WHAT ARE THE SERVANTS FOR? comicbooks.com