Life, 1923-09-20 · page 23 of 36
Life — September 20, 1923 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two distinct satirical pieces: **"Travel Is So Educating"** (by Charles G. Shaw) is a dialogue among wealthy American tourists at a European hotel in summer 1923. The satire mocks how travel supposedly "broadens" people—in reality, these characters spend their time gossiping about acquaintances back home, cataloging who's lost their fortune (likely referencing post-WWI economic upheaval), and judging others' appearances and marriages. The joke: travel exposes them to nothing except other Americans doing the same shallow gossip. **"Jonesville's Prized Problem"** satirizes small-town aspirations and municipal pride. A salesman describes how Jonesville wants to install traffic towers like Indianapolis, Washington, and Meridian have—not to solve problems, but to *create* them. The humor lies in the town's backwards priorities: they'd rather have visible urban problems (traffic congestion) than solve actual needs, since traffic "gives the people something to talk about." It's a jab at small-town provincialism and the desire to imitate big-city status symbols. Both pieces use dialogue to expose middle-class American vanity and poor judgment through understated irony.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Travel Is So Educating HE the smartest hotel in my European capital. > time: summer of 1923. characters: two gentlemen and adies. First GENTL avel is so educating. First Lapy broadening. Seconp Lapy © sees so much. Seconp GENTLEMAN ie sees everyone. First GentL ere are the Frisbies, now First Lapy iear Maude Frisbie’s getting < ECOND Lapy treated her outrageously Seconp GENTLEMAN ‘t that Kate Armsby with them? rst’ Lapy course it How she’s changed! Seconp Lapy lost absolutely all her First GENTLEMAN she's a perfect sight. Seconp GENTLEMAN saw the Robinson-Bortons yester- They both looked terrible. Seconp Lapy understand they've lost every y they ever had. Seconp GENTLEMAN ery penny. The: y the Parker- ts are arriving to-morrow. First Lapy can't stand Lucy Parkerhurst. First GENTLEMAN think they're both impossible. Seconp GENTLEMAN hey'll stop with the Jarrowby Seconp Lapy he Jarrowbys! The world’s worst. First Lavy m glad I'm leaving. First GENTLEMAN vam I - Seconp GENTLEMAN You certainly run into all sorts: Seconp Lapy don’t you. First GENTLEMAN es, travel is so educating. First Lapy so broadening. Charles G. Shaw. OUR FOREIGN POLICY Jonesville’s Prized Problem “OE of my customers told me to- that they took down the hitchin’ posts day they were going to put up on Main Street but now there are so bronze traffic towers in Main Street,” many automobiles that you have to said the gray-haired traveling sales- come downtown before breakfast to man, as he dropped into a comfortable find a parking place. New York and chair in the lobby of the Hotel New Chicago are trying to get rid of their Trianon, Jonesville. “Some of the traffic problem and Jonesville and councilmen have been to Ind'nap’lis Peoria are trying to create one. It’s and seen the one at Washin'ton and the one thing they don't want to sec Meridian. They thought that if solved; they'd rather have Prohibition Ind’nap'lis could get that close to first. You see, traffic gives the people New York there was nothing to stop something to talk about and the city Jonesville. officials something to regulate.” “It was only abou: ten years ago McC. H. RITISH lecturers are admitted by the dry authorities for obvious Teusons. Bug Barber: Aw, ME! IF 1 ONLY HAD HIS TRADE! comicbooks.com