Life, 1922-09-28 · page 10 of 36
Life — September 28, 1922 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The central illustration depicts a caricatured figure labeled "Old Bill Nickel" sitting atop a barrel, appearing to be a vagrant or hobo. The caption reads: "Hi Potter has two half-brothers, but he alters sez he has only one 'cause two halves make one!" This appears to be a play on words satirizing someone named Potter (possibly a public figure of the era), making a joke about mathematics and family relations. The hobo character "Old Bill Nickel" may represent common people or underclass commentary. The surrounding "Life Lines" are brief satirical quips on various American topics: Greek soldiers, coal thieves, movie stars, beer consumption, and admission prices. Without precise historical context, the specific targets remain unclear, though the tone suggests general social criticism typical of *Life* magazine's satirical mission.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“HICAGO names its principal streets after Presidents. Phila- delphia names hers after nuts. This fall the up-to-date crooks will he picking coal pockets. Recent reports from Asia Minor indicate that the Greek soldiers will not adopt the long skirt. aL Our idea of the worst little boy is the one who waits up for Santa Claus only to yell “Beaver!” when he comes down the chimney. aL Every time a movie star marries, it seems to be all over but the shooting. dL The country may need a good five-cent cigar, but it also needs a face pow- der that won't come off against the shoulder of a blue serge suit. aL The wages of Sinn Fein is death. aL According to the Literary Digest poll, we are get- ting near beer all the time. aL “Admission 10 marks or 2 eggs” was charged at a recent concert in Wiir temberg. The management, as it were, getting them com- ing and going. JL “Hi Potter has two half-brothers, but he allers sez he has only one "cause two halves make one!” Nowadays, any man is a hero to his bootlegger. aL What actually happens when Greek meets Greek, to judge from the recent retreat of their army, is a rear-end collision. aL Airplane rum-runners are reported on the Canadian border. They’re safe so long as they don’t take a drop. The Greeks have been demonstrating their willingness to run a mile for a Kemal. aL Albert J. is willing to show proof that he is the pre-war Beveridge. Old Bill Nickel New Yorkers know that predictions of the dire results of the Con- gressional blocs are not visionary. Look what they suffer from the traffic block. aL Three new hotels are planned for At- lantic City next season, with robbery the motive. There are three kinds of Americans bootleggers, people who buy fro1 hootleggers, and government agent who make a very comfortable living aL Tom Watson of Georgia is the guy that turned a_ smoot! Senate into a rough House. aL The Germans’ skill at dis. covering substitutes ha- now reached the point where they are making synthetic money. IL There is a_ nice littl chance for a Congres- sional junket this winter to discover why the Philippines are spelled with a “Ph” and Filipinos with an “F”, aL For a long time scientists despaired of attaining ab solute zero, but then the papers began publishing book reviews. JL One hundred years ago most of this country wa< unsettled. To-day condi tions are the same. The eastern part of the United States is bounded on the north by the St Lawrence River and the great leaks. -L Thanks to the Shipping Board, we can all be true Americans again. Congress has decided t: leave Salvation on the free list. IL he scientist who recently explained the extinction of the Dodo bird wil doubtless be able to‘tell us what ha happened to the Eskimo pie. aL The poet grew so hungry, His form so gaunt and thin, He took to writing lines like these To sell as fillers-in. comicbooks.com