Life, 1925-10-08 · page 28 of 46
Life — October 8, 1925 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical story mocks the frenetic pace of 1920s-30s urban development in New York City. Wetherby Woggs is an ordinary man repeatedly displaced as buildings around him are demolished for skyscrapers and "progress." Each time he relocates, the same thing happens—his new home is torn down almost immediately. The joke centers on the absurdity of unchecked demolition and real estate speculation: Woggs loses his apartment, furniture, and even his daughter in the chaos. When he finally decides to end his life over this misery, a building collapses while he's retrieving a gun, forcing him to flee yet again. The satire critiques both the callous indifference of property developers (who refuse liability for displaced families) and the city's prioritization of construction over human welfare. A sympathetic policeman—himself a victim of similar displacement—validates Woggs's frustration, suggesting this was a widespread urban experience for ordinary residents.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
26 « LIFE * The Strange Case of Wetherby Wog: plied Wetherby, cooling down some- what. “Man goes to work in morn- ing...comes home _ night...finds home torn down...’sawful “Go on,” urged the policeman sym- pathetically, “I know how it is. I had a coupla rooms snatched from me that way mysclf once, and be- tween noon and sunset, too!” “First case happened year ago,” resumed Wetherby. “Had nice little flat...three rooms and kitchenette in thirties...took wife and family out of town for weck-end...came back Monday morning and found house gone...couldn't believe eyes .+-Went to policeman,..he came... took look...said place had been torn down late Saturday afternoon ...-make room for skyscraper... lost furniture ’nd everything!" “Then what?” “Moved into building only old...furnished it up new... very happy three months...one lunch-hour sitting with family at dinner table...heard rumbling sound and ham- mering...then north wall of dining- room fell...six fellers with crowbars and picks came in...never said wor just tore down all walls... left uss out in open air like lot of then big steam shovel dashed through floor, scooped us all up and dumped us into dump truck...I saved wife and three children but lost oldest daughter «..She was buried bottom of truck and rted away...’tain’t right.” “What happened next?” “Moved uptown,..’way uptown, I thought...Madison Avenue in fifties s landlord called it home community ten iting, sparrows... “MIGHT HAVE BI “THEN NORTH WALL OF DINING-ROOM FELL.” ...Said business wouldn't intrude for years to come...wife and kiddies were nervous wrecks result experiences... used to sit in front windows and get hysterical every time heard noise like falling bricks...or steam shovel... “Only been there six weeks when owner of building next door started alterations...wife and children col- lapsed under strain...following week was sitting at bedside assuring ‘em nothing was going to happen to build- ing when heard deafening crash... house shook violently like quake. . two steam -TWO!...came into room...one from cach sid up with dressing-ta plaster...other scooped shov scooped me and ton of (Continued from page 10) up sick wife and three children with load of flooring and bureau!” “You don’t mean it!” exclaimed the policeman. “Absolutely....One steam shovel dumped me into one truck...other shovel dumped wife and family into another...that was worst part of it ++-might have been decent enough to dump us all in same truck...not right to separate families...am I right?” babbled Wetherby. “You said a jawful.” “Both trucks started off opposite directions at once...house wreckers very fast workers...I made escape from wagon during unloading but never saw wife and family again... made complaint...wrecking com- pany said not responsible loss of goods in transit.” “Then what did you do?” “Decided to end it all...went to Fifth Avenue hotel... .paid bill in a vance...then went out to get pistol... bah-h-h-h-h!...Where’s that train?... Lemme get a train, I tell Wetherby was becoming violent again. “When did all this suicide stuff hap- pen?” demanded the policeman, “Just now...half hour ago,” “Why didn’t you go through with the plan?” “Couldn’t....When got back with gun hotel was being torn...just man- aged to flee as wall fell!” Here Wetherby Woggs went into a maniacal frenzy. It was with great difficulty the policeman, touched to the quick by his story of life in a grest dragged him to the train shed and threw him on a train for the Far West. you!” DECENT ENOUGH TO DUMP US ALL IN SAME TRUCK.” comicbooks.com