Life, 1923-05-31 · page 23 of 37
Life — May 31, 1923 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"A Night with the Buoys"** mocks Prohibition-era America. The pilot humorously renames New York Harbor navigation lights after alcoholic beverages—"Fire Water Light," "Champagne and Sherry float," "Burgundy and Claret float," and "Scotch float"—suggesting alcohol was ubiquitous despite the ban. The punchline references "Hogan's Three-Mile Floating Picnic Grove," likely a speakeasy or illegal drinking establishment, implying even political associations flouted Prohibition laws at their outings. **"The World's Hardest Luck"** depicts circus freaks (an armless wonder and living skeleton) in a darkly comedic absurdist joke: the armless man cannot obtain handwriting analysis because he must sign his name with his feet, requiring a "foot-writing expert" instead—a profession that doesn't exist. **"A Long List"** is a brief banker's joke suggesting the bank has many vice-presidents, implying either bureaucratic bloat or corruption in the banking industry.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A Night with the Buoys “TN approaching New York Har- bor,” said the veteran pilot to the novice, “we first pick up Fire Water—formerly Fire Island— light.” “Fire Water Light. Yes, sir.” “We then pass on the starboard bow the White Star line's cham- pagne and sherry float; two green lights fixed and a flash of red.” “I understand.” “Two points off the port bow you pick up the Burgun- dy and claret float of the Cunard line, five red lights and a purple flash.” “And a purple flash.” “Soon you sight the red and green alternating flashes of the Anchor line’s Scotch float. The Italian line’s Chi- anti station is three points to the south-southwest.” “Hello, what’s that blaze of electricity dead ahead, sir?” She: Have you traveled extensively? He: No, but I’ve traveled fast. “Ha, that’s your first sight of American soil. That's Hogan's Three-Mile Floating Picnic Grove. Take the glass and you can see the name of the political association that’s having its annual outing.” apres ace “Go easy now.” The World’s Hardest Luck HE scene was the circus tent where the freaks hold forth. Evidently, the armless wonder had something on his mind. “Why the preoccupied air, old chap?” asked the living skeleton. The armless wonder sighed. “It’s this way,” he said. “Here I sit, day after day, autographing cards with a pen between my toes. If I want a character-reading from a specimen of my hand- writing I am the one person in the world who can’t get it. I have got to wait until a foot-writing expert comes along.” The living skeleton’s sym- pathy was profound. A Long List “Tr's quite a big bank, isn’t itr” “More vice-presidents than any bank in town.” comicbooks.com