Life, 1925-11-05 · page 25 of 50
Life — November 5, 1925 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The cartoon depicts a cigar shop window labeled "CIGARS TOBACCO," with well-dressed figures examining the display. The caption sarcastically compares "the last stand of the American Indian" to "the last stand of a good five-cent cigar"—suggesting both are disappearing relics. Below is a humorous poem by Henry William Hanemann promoting Denham, a village fourteen miles from London. The satire's point: Denham is *so perfectly crime-free and virtuous* that it's boring. The poem repeatedly contrasts Denham's safety, politeness, and moral purity with London's chaos—shootings, drunkenness, reckless drivers, theft, and crime. The joke's sting: despite Denham's appealing virtue, the speaker would rather read the *Times* in exciting, corrupt London than the "beastly dull" local news. The satire mocks both small-town monotony and urban vices, suggesting virtue without stimulation isn't actually desirable.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE GAY NINETIES THE LAST STAND OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN—ALSO THE LAST STAND OF A GOOD FIVE-CENT CIGAR. Boost Denham! (“Crime, even of the minor order, has been practically unknown in Denham, Bucks, for nearly thirty years; yet this village is only fourteen miles from London."—Answers.) Denham go ‘most any timc, ‘most any time, 'most any time, To Denham go ‘most any time (it's fourteen miles from London) ; And to your uttermost relief you will not find a yegg or thief In Denham (Bucks) at any time (though very near to London). Nobody shoots an erring spouse, there is no bibulous carouse, A cloister is cach Denham house (though hardly out of London) ; The streets are safe for girls at night, no reckless motorists affright, The taxi drivers are polite (that’s not the case in London). Nobody curses, lies or steals, no arsenic is served in meals, The courts go begging for appeals (they do not beg in London) ; Of all the crimes there is not one they do not dutifully shun, In Denham (Bucks) it “isn’t done”—it's done enough in London. And Denham's so at any time, at any time, at any time, In fact, it’s that way all the time (in spite of dear old London) ; With crime so very void and null, the breakfast tea’s an empty hull, The Denham News is beastly dull; T'll read the Times— in London. Henry William Hanemann, comicbooks.com