Life, 1926-08-12 · page 13 of 36
Life — August 12, 1926 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct pieces of humor content: **"Topper"** (rhymed review by Thorpe Smith): A satirical poem mocking a suburban character named Cosmo Topper who encounters ghosts of "festive George and Marion Kirby" during lonely car drives. The joke plays on the supernatural elements disrupting mundane suburban life. **"Gone West"** (cartoon): Depicts a lighthouse keeper and child on a barren shore. The humor involves a summer visitor bragging about visiting Chicago and Detroit, with the keeper's sardonic response suggesting these industrial cities are less exotic than claimed. **"Not a Medal—a Model"** (brief joke): A wordplay exchange where "Yvonne has won a D.U.S.C." is misheard as "Distinguished Service" when it's actually a "Drug Store Cowboy"—mocking shallow achievements. All pieces reflect 1920s-30s era American humor focused on suburban life, travel pretension, and social status.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Rhymed Reviews Topper By Thorne Smith Robert M. McBride & Co. N° scandal marred the pure and i white Renown of Mr. Cosmo Topper, A sensible suburbanite, Domestic, regular and proper, Until, when crosses hard to bear Had stirred mad thoughts beneath his derby, He met the ghosts of that wild pair, The festive George and Marion Kirby. The Kirbys twain had lost their lives In Topper’s car; but, nothing daunted, When ‘Topper went on lonely drives That car, once theirs, was what they haunted. These low-planed, earthbound, imp- ish ghosts Took Topper off on reckless frol- ies And made him quaff unnumbered toasts, The unrepentant alcoholics. Resuming mortal needs and ties These spirits bridged the earthly chasm, At tines obscure to living eyes, At times revealed in ectoplasm. But how could any one rebuke A ghost for slight inebriation, Or chide a winsome lady spook For seeking human conversation? They smashed the car against an oak, The sportive shades, before they fitted, You think the narrat That won't convin witted ? ea joke c the -quarter- Believe the things that Conan Doyle Expounds about the weird, auda- cious Exploits of spooks upon our’ soil, And you should find it quite vera- cious. Arthur Guiterman. Not a Medal—a Model J NNE: Yvonne has DS. Cc. Jos: What? S viec— won a A_ Distinguished Heavens, no!—Drug Store Cow- boy. “1 SAW LITTLE BARBARA TO-DAY, DEAR. SHE SENT HER LOVE TO YoU.” “WHERE 18 17?” BOUT as near as some city people ever get to an act of cha ity is buying a seat in the subway. They pay for it and some one else gets it. Gone West IRST PEDESTRIAN: We ought to organize to protect our rights. Seconp Pepestrian (resigned to his fate): What rights? Summer Visitor (to Great Lakes lighthouse keeper): pon’ you EVER LONG TO SAIL BEYOND THE AS TO FOREIGN stores? “YES, MA’AM; I WAS TO CHICAGO AND DETROIT ONCE. comicbooks.com