Life, 1922-09-21 · page 11 of 36
Life — September 21, 1922 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main illustration depicts a rural farm scene with a farmer, his companion, and a horse-drawn cart passing a barn with cattle and windmill. The caption reads: "I knew it!" / "Knew what?" / "That Brown watered his milk." This is a straightforward visual joke about agricultural deception—a common rural concern of the era. "Watering milk" (diluting it with water to increase volume and profit) was a widespread adulteration practice that defrauded consumers. The cartoon satirizes this dishonest practice by showing the farmer's knowing recognition of the scheme, suggesting it was common enough that experienced people could identify the perpetrator. "The Lively Parallel" section compares advertising slogans with familiar proverbs, suggesting commercial language merely repackages old wisdom.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“I knew it!” “Knew what?” “That Brown watered his milk.” “At the mid hour of night, when stars are weeping, I fly To the lone vale we loved”? Tue Citizen: Alas, no. I know only that the rob- bers have loaded their booty onto a truck. They are driving away. It is too late to make an arrest. Orricer O'T. (gently): At half-past ten it was too late to make an arrest. That was two hours ago. (He yawns.) A sweet, beautiful night, sir. (Offstage, two voices are heard singing “Three Blind Mice.” Enter Officers O'Sullivan and O'Flynn.) Ovricer O’S.: Ah, good evening, Officer. ful, I see. Orricer O'T.: roundsmen ? OrFicer O'F.: round? Orricer O'T.: Gladly. (The three officers open their Enright books to page 279.) Orricer O’S., Orricer O’F., Orricer O’T. (singing): Row, row, row your boat Gently down the stream; Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, Life is but a dream. Row, row, row—etc. (iVhile they are thus engaged, two yeggs enter, neatly blackjack the agitated citizen and drag him of) Curtain. H.W.H. All peace- Peaceful as a graveyard. Are ye the We are. Will ye not join us in a The Lively Parallel Y friend Eheu has made a literary discovery of considerable importance. In brief, he has been col- lating Familiar Proverbs with Advertising Slogans, and he has found such a remarkable parallelism existing be- tween certains pairs as must surely constitute more than a mere coincidence. Please note that in some instances the thought of the Maxim is repeated in the Slogan; while in others the thought is completed or explained. These few samples will explain the system: Beauty is only skin deep—Save the Surface and You Save All. Marry in haste and repent at leisure—Ask the Man Who Owns One. A merciful man is merciful to his beast—I’d Walk a Mile for a Camel! Never put off till to-morrow what you can do to-day— Eventually, Why Not Now? Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves—Send 2 Cents for Particulars of Re- duce-U. A penny saved is a penny earned—Don’t Send Us a Cent. And finally (for our list is interminable) : It’s a wise child that knows his own father—Ask Dad, He Knows. T..R. comicbooks.com