Life, 1923-09-27 · page 14 of 36
Life — September 27, 1923 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two distinct pieces: **Top cartoon:** A restaurant scene where a diner complains about lost appetite. The punchline suggests consulting a "head-waiter" instead of a doctor—implying the waiter's expensive bills rival medical fees. This satirizes the pretension and high costs of upscale dining establishments. **Main story: "What's Your Number?"** A comedic sketch set at the intersection of Woolzie Street and Anyold Avenue in Manhattan. It depicts a traffic accident involving a taxi driver, his passenger, and a "Walking Delegate" (a labor union representative) from the Cabbies' Union. The piece satirizes the tensions between taxi drivers, their passengers, and union officials during what appears to be early 20th-century labor disputes over working conditions and street safety regulations in New York City.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“LOST YOUR APPETITE, EH? WHY “I THINK I'LL CONSULT THE HEAD-WAITER. DON'T YoU A IT COSTS ABOUT THE SAME.” ‘““What’s-Your Number 2” An Incident in Manhattan Where the Wheels Go Round HE Scene is the middle of the roadway at the inter- section of Who Street and Anyold Avenue. A group of citizens, consisting of a Trafic Cop Walking Delegate of the Chauffeurs’ Union, a Taxi Driv and his Nervous Passenger, are considering the damage toa taxicab. They rather ignore the portly gentleman who lics at full length on the crossing, and whose frantic efforts to arise are rendered futile by the fact that the front wheel of the taxi is planted on his midriff. Trarric Cop (to driver) : Don't you see that sign—No parking here”? Go ahead. GENTLEMAN Unper Car: he goes ahead another wheel will pass over me. request him to back up. Trarric Cop: Wrong side of the street. GENTLEMAN Unper Car: But I've been under here quite a while. Trarric Cop: One more kick out of you and I'll run you in for obstructing traffic. Tue Driver: This is goin’ to set me back ten bucks for a new bumper. GENTLEMAN Unper Car: So sorry. Tue Driver: Hey, jay walker, while you're under there take a slant at my brake rods. GENTLEMAN Unprr Car: They seem to be in excellent condition, As a matter of fact they show no signs of use. Beg pardon, old chap, but if Kindly PAssENGER: I say, driver, | want to make a train. 1s that fellow going to stay under your car all night? Tue Driver: He thinks he’s home in bed. PAssENGER: And this meter registers eleven. owe you eleven dollars. Tue Driver: Aw, that. means I've only run over eleven people to-day. Trarric Cop: Come on; you can't loaf around her: all night havin’ a good time. Beat it. (Amid the expostulations of the victim, the Driv mounts his car, only to be checked by an imperious gestw from the Walking Delegate.) DELEGATE (with apologies to Whittier) : Who turns a wheel of that gray car Loses his card. ay where you are. Tue Driver: The Strike is on. (He locks his gears. GenTLEMAN Unper Car: How unfortunate. Detecate: Not a taxi wheel in this town will tur until our new rules are adopted to prevent accidents We're going to make the streets safe. (The Driver calmly locks the Passenger in and sets th meter at waiting time. After which he slips a cushion fron the front seat beneath the head of the Gentleman Undes the Car.) Tue Driver: There now, you can't say I ain't donc my best to make you comfortable. Mark Swan. I don't comicbooks.com