Life, 1926-10-07 · page 15 of 44
Life — October 7, 1926 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct pieces of satirical humor typical of Life magazine's style: 1. **"Red Hot Sports"**: A dialogue between characters named Horace and Laurence mocking early New York society's pretensions. The joke hinges on Laurence's confused, snobbish responses to Horace's innocent questions about social activities—satirizing wealthy New Yorkers' affected manners. 2. **"The High Cost of Living"**: A 1893 vignette from the Detroit Free Press depicting economic hardship, where a poor man can only afford a five-cent coffee and minimal food, highlighting the period's cost-of-living crisis affecting working-class Americans. 3. **"Is It Right?"**: Editorial commentary questioning newspaper editors' practice of printing sensational farm stories on front pages while relegating serious agricultural news inside—critiquing journalistic priorities. The photographs show unidentified children in what appears to be a "Gay Nineties" contest reference.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ROOM TO HANG OUT ALL THE FAMILY re Host of the Gay Nineties: ou, No. THAT's JUST MY DAUGITER’S BATHING SUIT DRYING OUT. Red Hot Sports A Lesson in Early New Yorkese; or, Would You Believe It? “RON jour, Horace, as the frog- eaters say.” “Bon jour yourself, Laurence, and see how you like it.” “Say, cully, I'll bet I know where you got that hat.” “Ll go you, Laurence. Where?” “On your head. Ha! Ha!" “Well, that’s one on me. I hope you choke ! I see it’s raining in London.” “Are you referring to my trou- sers? I consider them very ton “Oh, go 'way back and sit down. “Seriously, Laurence, now that I've met you, I wonder if I could touch you for a fiver.” “Will you have it now or will you wait till you get it?” “Oh, stop those monkeyshines for I have an engagement to go ‘eyeling with a lady.” “Chee, kid, if you ain't der masher! Is she a daisy, Hor- a I'll bet my bot- dollar she is.” “She's a perfes peach, Laurence.” “Well, here’s the fiver, Horace. And don’t’ worry about it. It will all come out in the wash.” “Thank you, dear _ fellow. Will you repair to @ saloon with me and par- take of a dish of jew cream?” “TI must decline a moment, WHO ARE THESE LITTLE GIRLS? (int: They are sisters and have followed parallel roads to fame—roads that led westward....Read the conditions of the Gay Nineties Contest on page 6.) the courtesy, Horace; I am late for my mandolin lesson now. I must bid you a fond adoo.” “One thing before you go, Lau- rence. Would you rather be a bigger fool than you look or look a bigger fool than you are?” “Ha! Ha! T very Adoo again, Horace. How you like to be the ice man?” good. would Henry William Hanemann. Is It Right? BOUT this time of year the newspaper cditors, who print three lines of the news of the day on the front page and continue the rest in the back of the paper, want to know why the farmers put the large apples on the top of the barrel. Picture No. 5 WHAT ARE THEY PAMOUS FOR? The High Cost of Living (From the Detroit “Free Press,” 1893) HE seedy individual, blear-cyed and unkempt, slipped into a cheap restaurant near the Michigan Cen- tral depot the other morning and sat down a table in the corner, where the waiter discovered him. “How much is a cup of coffee?” he © cents. “And a ste “Ten cent and butter?” “Five cents.” “Do you charge knife and fork “Oh, ne Then he ran his hand his pocket. “Well, bring me them,” he said, shaking his head. “I guess I can’t do any better this morning than go through the mo- tions.” nything extra nd plate?” down into Literal ° (IRST FRESH- MAN (at the end of a stirring y. M. C. A. talk): What're you going out for—football? Seconn Fresu- Man: No — justa pack of Fatimas. HE great prob- lem of our bus’ ness chieftains summer passes is to find something to do between week-ends. comicbooks.com