Life, 1924-02-21 · page 14 of 36
Life — February 21, 1924 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines a narrative story about ice-boats on the Detroit River with political cartoons below. The story portrays a comedic naval "battle" between pleasure craft and revenue cutters enforcing regulations against ice harvesting. The bottom cartoons appear to be titled "Good Any Campaign Year: A Few Suggestions to Overworked Political Cartoonists." These mock the repetitive nature of political cartooning through recurring allegorical figures: "Uncle Sam," "Progress" (depicted as a rising sun), "Capital" and "Labor" (shown as businessmen), and "Prosperity" (as a woman). The cartoons satirize how cartoonists reuse the same symbolic characters and imagery across different campaign years, suggesting political commentary has become formulaic and exhausted.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE A Naval Engagement OW we read that ice-boats are to be employed At last! The skipper hoists the sail and breaks out the by the authorities against the rum-runners of Demi-j at the masthead. The motley crew swarms the Detroit River. The ice-boat as a revenue aboard, and the long, low, rakish craft beats up into the cutter ought to cut some ice. Too long has she wind. been regarded as a mere pleasure craft, with a The maneuvre docs not escape the vigilance of the Gov guarantee to the passenger against mal de mer ernment cutter “Snowbird.” Perched in the crow’s nest is A thrilling recreation; the holiday-maker lies the lookout, a reverend official of the Anti-Saloon League down on a plank and covers himself, head and all, with a He has his white linen collar turned around and buttoned at thick robe of synthetic fur, The jocund skipper hoists the the back, to keep out the bitter cold. sail, and covers himself up likewise ‘A sail!) A sail!” he cries. Full skate ahead!" roars Away speeds the gallant ship. Swift and graceful as a the intrepid skipper. The chase is afoot bird, she skims the glassy surface till she reaches that part The heavily laden cargo ship is no match for her nimble of the bay in which the Filtered Water Ice Co. Ine., is pursuer; the outlaw captain desperately orders the crew to conducting its harvesting operations jettison the cargo. Too late! The cargo is frozen fast to How beautifully she takes the wate delay, no the decks, “Sink me the ship,” he cries, “I will not be hitch, no formality; not so much as a bottle of champagne taken alive.” The ship's carpenter bores auger holes The onlookers cheer with enthusiasm; they ply their huge various points in the deck, but to no avail tongs briskly, fish out the skipper and his passenger, and A shot flies across the smuggler’s bows. Her skipper place them in safety on the escalator, with the other blocks hoists the white flag, but the of surrender is invisible of ice against a background of st i And now that these pleasure craft have been converted r issue of grog al .” cries the skipper to into merchantmen carrying contraband, and armed ships of the medical officer. “Quick, hey come.” war are issuing from our harbors against them, we may zentlemen,” says he, as the minions of the law approach expect any day to hear of a stirring naval encounter “L yield to superior numbers. Take——" In an ice-hound cove the smuggler captain and his merry Thanks,” answers the captain of the “Snowbird men, beating their arms against their chests, await the signal don’t care if we do. Keeps out the cold that the coast is clear. The decks are piled high with cases Thus does good common sense among individuals tend to labeled “Banana Fragile—Made in Scotland.” minimize the danger of international friction. VERE chod ENOUG —{ rex ue, ister eS L— IN THE WATER WORKS. own DAWN OF) A BETTER DAY THEY ARE LIGHTING THE FIRES IN THE MILLS AGAIN. GOOD ANY CAMPAIGN YEAR ESTIONS TO OVERWORKED POLITICAL CARTOONISTS comicbooks.com