Life, 1921-02-17 · page 31 of 34
Life — February 17, 1921 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two distinct pieces: **Left side - "Prehistoric Days: Fate of the Profiteer"** is a cartoon satirizing war profiteers (likely from WWI era). The image shows a bloated man being crushed under the weight of "cost of labor and materials" and "double the price of spearheads"—suggesting that those who exploited wartime shortages to inflate prices face inevitable collapse and ruin. **Right side - Two short humor pieces**: "Important Ceremony" depicts Southern domestic life through a Black cook's gossip about her employer's neighbors. "Looking Backward" jokes about a woman's naïve amazement at H.G. Wells' history book, marveling that "things had happened" before her birth—mocking intellectual pretension. The rest is period advertising for stationery and lawn mowers—typical magazine filler of the era. The content reflects early 20th-century attitudes and racial dynamics now considered offensive.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
2 “Old wiltly, in: PREHISTORIC DAYS FATE OF THE PROFITEER. Important Ceremony N a certain town—'way down South—whose name has noth- | ing to do with my story, there is an carly morning tram wtich is well known as the “ Cooks’ Special,” inasmuch as it is the car which carries the help to their daily—work, I was going to say. Now it has become a habit for the cook to pre- sent herself before her mistress as soon as she arrives, not for orders (don’t you think it), but to retail the latest gossip fathered on the way up the hill on the aforementioned “ Cooks’ Special.” One morning Annie-Lou came slowly shuffling up the hill, entered the kitchen, and even before her customary “Good morning,” she drawled out: “Mr. Will Downing’s going ter get married.” “Nonsense, Annie-Lou!"” I replied. “I'm very sure you are | mistaken,” “Is yer?" said Annie-Lou, with a knowing smile. “T tells yer that Mr. Will Downing is going ter get married. I knows ‘an’ he's going ter marry Miss Mary Doughty ‘most ’fo’ you's awear, an’ what's mo’, his sister’s going to give em a shower- bath next Saturday evening.” Looking Backward Miss ELDERBERRY: Wonderful book, Mr. Wells’ “Out- line of History.” Do you know, I hadn't the least idea © many things had happened before I was born. Miss Caustiove: And in such a short space of time! (1d Hampshire Stationery Some of the letters you write will be kept and cherished. The paper they are written on is part of the record thus preserved. Time may blur the enthusiasms your letters aroused, but the Old Hampshire Stationery, on which you write, will never cease to evoke a suggestion of something fine. May we send you some free samples of the Old Hampshire letter paper and envelopes? Fine Stationery Department. HAMPSHIRE PAPER COMPANY South Hadley Falls, Mass. _ Makers of Old Hampshire Bond The “Pennsylvania Trio” is the culmina- tion of the famous Pennsylvania Quality Line. It embodies all the exclusive quality features. | The “Pennsylvania Golf” has | no rival when close cutting is re- No other mower will cut | quired on tennis courts, putting- grass on golf courses, . big greens and lawns. It trims 3/16 estates or parks as efficient-| of an inch. Allitsblades are cru- ly, economically or speedily. | cible tool steel; self-sharpening. Write for " Pennsyleania Book’? PENNSYLVANIA LAWN MOWER WORKS, Inc. 1625 N. 23rd STREET, PHILADELPHIA comicbooks.com