Life, 1924-05-08 · page 8 of 42
Life — May 8, 1924 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Main Cartoon:** The illustration shows two figures on a street—a woman and a man in formal attire carrying what appears to be rolled blueprints. The caption reads: "What does the first robin remind you of? To order another ton of coal." **Context:** This appears to be satirizing the coal shortage or heating crisis affecting Americans (likely post-WWI era, given the magazine's style). The "first robin" traditionally signals spring's arrival, but the joke inverts this: instead of hoping for warm weather, people remain preoccupied with securing coal for heating, suggesting ongoing scarcity or economic hardship. **Sidebar Content:** Multiple short pieces address Professor Blotter's resignation from Columbia University over inventions he sought to patent. The satire criticizes standardized educational methods that stifle innovation.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“WHAT DOES THE FIRST KOBIN REMIND ¥ “TO ORDER ANOTHER On Thinking THINKING is avery t pusiness. Particularly if we be- lieve what we think, It will lead us dangerous to do things which we may later regret Or it will lead us to do them. which we may regret even more. It makes for investigation and analysis. for dissection and probing—and it is not long before we begin to detect flaws in those very delights that we once be lieved to be perfect. We may go so far as to discover hopeless errors Thus, disillusion sets in even in ourselves. —disillusion that threads its subtle way into the contentment of our lives and spreads lightning-like rapidity. Soon it is too late to do anything but submit. We are lost in a sea of ideas Thinking, like Ic is a game without rules. We strongly advise against it. with TON OF COAL To a Crystal Ball F we could know from day to day Each single footstep of our way, Ji all the future were reflexed So we might sce, or glad or vexed. Where would the use be left to pray The years that pass in long array y retrospect are silver-gray, life would show us small pretext If we could know The past is easy to survey Through tears grown softer by delay Our courage would be sore perplexed Were we aware of each step next We might be half-afraid to stay If we could know. Ruth Kauffman. original sky-writer—the Record- “Professor Blotter Quits Columbia! “President Requests Resignation Following Latest Invention!” MoM edition | had bought horrified eye scanned the intro- ductory par ph the extra “— was the first man to discover how to measure without having to stand Woolworth also famous for mis- Australi ocean liner them on end beside the Tower “—_ sionary work in giving boxing lessons to kangarc could get jobs in vaudeville there was no doubt about it; it Professor Blotter. I discovered him sadly packing the blueprints of his latest invention into a briefcase. He handed me the letter without comment “Dear Blotter,” it read, ‘the President has asked me to request your immediate resignation from the following your inventions in Standardization — of Professor University the field of Thought. He feels that the publication of your ideas would be ruinous to the financial interests of all the colleges of the country.” Secretary “And I thought I was doing modern education a good turn,” said the aged h as all our It was signed by the scientist bitterly. “Inasr greater institutions of learning (numeri- cally speaking) have the single aim of producing large quantities of graduates all exactly alike, I only sought to intro- duce a little efficiency into their methods.” He held up his blueprints sadly. “Just a standard iron mold, like a mummy case, which can be built ac- cording to the prescribed formula of cach university,” explained Dr, Blotter. ‘The young student is forced into it when it is white-hot, and pounded and mashed with mallets, and lopped and clipped with shears, until he fits the form exactly, Then he is graduated. “I also made some head-molds for essor Blotter made every the Faculty,” added P “1 don't know why: the one so angr he sighed, “unless it was that they all happened to be square.” CHF The Quest Yes, this is the employ- Cc 2RK ment agency Mrs. Nortn: Do you think you have a cook that I would pleas comicbooks.com