Life, 1921-12-22 · page 22 of 34
Life — December 22, 1921 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes the newly wealthy through two interconnected pieces: **The Main Cartoon** depicts street urchins mocking a rich boy's Christmas gift—a bank account. The joke: even a child from poverty recognizes that inherited wealth, not earned money, marks true privilege. The urchins' dialect ("wha' d'ye think," "Aw! Th' poor son-uy-a-gun!") contrasts their street wisdom with the boy's sheltered naiveté. **The Featured Article** profiles Hervy M. Phillips, a self-made millionaire (former Chicago newsboy turned Mexican mining tycoon) who throws money from hotel windows and boasts of conquering Broadway through sheer spending. The accompanying "Street of Broken Hearts" directory mockingly catalogs his potential expenses—from steamship offices to pastry shops to automobile showrooms—suggesting Broadway exists primarily to extract wealth from nouveau-riche spenders like him. **The Satire's Point**: Both pieces mock the ostentatious display of new money and the illusion that wealth equals sophistication. The "broken hearts" reference implies such extravagant spending leaves financial and moral wreckage.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ee “Say, wha’ d’ye think that rich guy’s fawther gave him fer a Chris’mus present?— A bank account!” ERVY M. PHILLIPS, a former Chicago newsboy, who has made millions in Mexican mining enterprises, was interviewed recently in the midst of throwing five- and ten-dollar bills out of his hotel window in Omaha. “T’ve never been to New York,” he said, “but I’m going there in the next two weeks. Don’t know what I'll do there, but I’m going to sce the town and I’m going to see it right. I’m going up one side of Broadway and down the other. And, believe me, when I get through, they’ll know I’ve been there.” If Mr. Phillips lives up to his inten- tion of going up one side of Broadway and down the other, he will find the fol- lowing opportunities for the dissipa- tion of his fortune: Starting on the right.from the Bat- tery with the Beaver Trunk Co., dis- tributors of Likly, Oshkosh, Meyering, and Indestructo Wardrobe Trunks, there will be 10 blocks of steamship of- “Aw! Th’ poor son-uy-a-gun!” “The Street of Broken Hearts” fice buildings, with such divertisse- ments as the headquarters of Unz & Co., Stationers, Harry and Gus Restau- rant, 8 Exchange Buffets and 2 grave- yards. 2 blocks of filing cabinets 2 blocks of firearms 33 blocks of wholesale clothing stores, including : The Guzy Blouse Shop Soll & Kowitz, Fall River Cotton Exchange The Velvet Shirt Co. The Ess-Arr Knitting Mills S. Glatstone & Son—“The House Exceptional” The Majestic Hat Co. The Realart Shirt Co. Princely Clothing Co. Nat'l Butchers and Drovers Bank O’Connell and Weisberger Liberty Boys’ Knee Pants Co. Worldbeeter Underwear Co. and 14 Belmore Lunches, followed by: 10 Woolworth Stores 30 Removal Sales 22 blocks of Nedick’s Orange Drink Truly Warner Hats Jos. Durst—The Talk About” Liggett Drug Stores Joe Reinhorn Broadway Art Shop, headquarters for sheet music, souveni photo novelties (with mechanical piano- player) 3 legitimate theatres 5 moving picture theatres 20 blocks of automobile salesrooms 100 blocks of pastry shops, delica- tessens, C. & L. Restaurants, pink s lingerie, circulating libraries, family hotels and moving picture houses. Having thus cleaned up one side of Broadway, Mr. Phillips can tackle the other, which will include the above list read backwards. R.C. B. House They was girl show elect dler, pen. nent clain little chec that forg her t comy form head the : balar is ju inter M Tame dren ties. lette ing . comicbooks.com