Life, 1926-03-25 · page 8 of 40
Life — March 25, 1926 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes Hell, Colorado, a real town that had become a tourist attraction. The main article, attributed to Dante Alighieri (the medieval Italian poet), humorously treats Hell as a vacation destination. The text describes visiting Hell's Club, praising its facilities and food despite the town's somewhat disreputable reputation. The central cartoon illustrates "Oriental Philosophy," depicting a grotesque demon figure. The caption jokes about fortune-telling and deception: "When all the world seems dark—when fortune plays you false—when your best friends won't tell you... be nonchalant—light a dope!" The satire mocks both the commercialization of a poorly-regarded town and contemporary attitudes toward drugs and spiritual hucksterism, treating serious vices as laughable modern absurdities.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1! ter since the form. j Club Signor Aligt most recent vi hip of the member » it will be the ee troubles of Frar her husband) the achieveme ling year. Signor atesta said part TL can ally say that an old resident would nize Hell as sold us on the *B Don't Knock’ prope You stressed the fact that some of your own towns described had been as ‘Hell on the Boosters took Earth’ ld By merely using the psy- chology of uplift, having in their ft ranged the mood of the citizens from dis- what I Spirit couragement to like to call ‘Civic w Sellit Sand you often tripled — the value of local real estate ANTE ALIGHIERT, brated traveler and atters, reports that Hell the The quality « the je the authority on IW ed, rin WHEN ALL THE you THE EXPLORER'S MAIL—(Continued on Next Page) Hell—the Gem of the Tropics cele I remember well the day when old CStick-t Chief itive’) Thomps on the idea with a s except Chief there is campa » the Old Cor r ace in the papers, chief pre to check the heon the public chiefly on the ling in of envie suls from the You Slant and the Best People Ap: Celestial Empire d Payment Plan was Yo can see for yourself the results. ure crowding into the old place already a serious she there is pitch, and the rai g the arply criticized by new Ste He ORIENTAL PHILOSOPHY SEEMS DARK—WHEN Wwortp FORTUNE PLAYS FALSE—WHEN EVEN YOUR BEST FRIENDS WON'T TELL YOU... BE NONCHALANT—LIGHT A perTy used soft coal all winter titute an embargo hable sé But these are important t is that it We old Anew spi ners used to feel ineli Lik Vil start I H—E—DOUBLE | On with the Milking f Oh, I do just love They're so gentle and Why, ever dom they're asked to d. We have had nm everything to ap st for | HELL!" Morris Bishop. s, don't weet. ir breath is sweet! have you noticed how sel- —— } HURCHES to Help the Sta Reform, says a headli While this commendable — im- | nder way, provement is why not make it a fifty fifty propositi ONTRIBUTORS’ the right- hand side of income tax blanks,