Life, 1923-01-11 · page 10 of 36
Life — January 11, 1923 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The central illustration depicts a ragged, elderly man labeled "Old Bill Nickel." The caption explains he was a colored Baptist Church minister who died after a "lingerin' illness," and his funeral included notable attendees: Newt Sperry and others who "reminded him of a swell black-burying party." This appears to be a satirical piece on African American funeral customs and social life, using dialect humor typical of 1920s-era publications. The character type—poor, elderly Black minister—was a common subject of period satire, though the specific historical figure "Old Bill Nickel" is unclear. The humor relies on period stereotypes about funeral culture and vernacular speech patterns.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
I T’S a question whether the an- ‘thracite supply or the temperature will be the first to get down to zero. aL Lloyd George has now be- The American Ambassador to Italy One thing about auto-suggestion: It has written a drama, but it will prob- _is practically the only suggestion the ably be dismissed as Child's play. average man will take. come a regular contributor to the Hearst papers. Right on up the ladder ! The police are out to dry up Broadway, but it puts a good many cases on the blotter. JL Of course the Ku Kluxers hold klandestine meetings. aL It is reported that Walter Camp receives fifty cents a word. That makes his All- American team worth $5.50. aL The Ford Presidential boom is another triumph for auto- suggestion. Harvey’s wise cracks over there look like foolish breaks by the time they reach here. aL It is reported that Dan Beard, the well-known naturalist, is writing a book about Beavers. aL The 1923 goloshes are like cantilever bridges. They don’t buckle in the middle. -L The professor of Biblical literature at William Jewell College has been dismissed for his radical views. The college is situated in Liberty, Missouri. The first annual clearance sale has been announced. The price of radium has been cut $50,000 a gram. aL The battle-cry in Washington now seems to be: “Don't give up the ship subsidy !” —L Old Bill Nickel “When the minister of the colored Baptist Church died, after a lingerin’ illness, an’ was given a big funeral, Newt Sperry said it reminded him of a swell black-burying party.” Lots of American tourists could never get back if they JL The composer who opened the door to jazz music must have thrown away the key. aL Photographs easily explain why there is no likelihood of Siki’s name being pronounced “Psyche.” aL Literary Note: An amusing delineation of American pecu!- iarities is to be found in “They Call Me Carpenter.” It was written by a French pugilist. Manufacturers estimate that 2,750,000 diaries will be start- ed the first of the year, of which number the Hearst publications will probably reprint about 2,100,000. aL The toughest job in the world: Approximating the number of revolutions a pork roast makes in a rotisserie window before it is done. Attorney-General Daugherty, probably, would be just as happy if a late frost killed the impeachment crop. aL Between the Russian baths and the Turkish baths, Euro- pean politics seems to be con- tinually in hot water. LL In a Western town members of the fire department cap- tured a bootlegger. While they were responding to a still alarm? LL From the latest interview with the Sultan of Swat comes the information that he is just “home folks.” The plain, unvarnished Ruth! L had to give the words of “The Star The Turk is no less terrible; the Pinchot, Borah, La Follette—all may Spangled Banner” to the immigra- . Kemalist government has introduced run for President in 1924. But who's tion officials at Ellis Island. a compulsory marriage law. going to crawl for Vice President? comicbooks.com