Life, 1927-08-04 · page 14 of 40
Life — August 4, 1927 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three separate pieces of satirical content: 1. **"The Low-down on Wall Street"** — A cartoon depicting workers suspended on the exterior of a tall building overlooking a cityscape, illustrating the precarious nature of Wall Street employment and financial instability. The accompanying dialogue discusses how building foundations (likely metaphorical for financial institutions) are unstable, with mentions of "off-the-week" speculation and money rates. 2. **"A Gardener's Wail"** by Clinton Scollard — A poem satirizing a neighbor's chickens and livestock that destroy the speaker's garden and produce, expressing frustration with rural nuisances while acknowledging they're "God's creations." 3. **"Ye Wyse Cracker"** — A Chaucerian-style fragment parodying medieval literature, appearing to mock either archaic language or period storytelling conventions. The page exemplifies Life's mix of financial satire, domestic humor, and literary parody.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE STEELWORKER TAKES HIS PAMILY DOWNTOWN ON SUNDAY TO SEE Hts NEW Jon. The Low-down on Wall Street “} OW'S everything down in the Street?" [asked ‘Temple- who writes the weekly market letter for Pond, Serounce, Bladgett & Blassington “Well” he “take the good investinent issues, for instance, tone, answered, which, by extension, includes those that have increased ploughed back earnings, inventory turnover and built in against’ whirlwind depres- sion, as well as those that yield a near-top profit without any sacrifice to the smooth money crowd. Under strong sponsorship they are likely to display more than a brief, spasmodic vigor, especially since the underpin nings are resting firmly on the rock foundation erected by the hit-and- run reaction of the off-week. If you're wondering about speculations, on the other hand, remember that the sub-standards are proving beyond cavil that the time is riy clusive for a con- gth of the have been sifting out from under directorate action on the stre rumors that doors since the last lowering of the money rate.” “Looks pretty good on the whole, eh?” “Well, yes and no.” Duncan Underhill. A Gardener's Wail I HAVE a gen Wha lives across the way; neighbor As certain as the dickens of his choicest chickens With clucking pipe and tabor Descend on me each day. Some These fine and feathered felon s | am inclined to curse; ° They peck my ripe tomatoes With cackling obligatoes ; They gor That might increase my purse. > my golden melons They spoil my nice cucumbers, And mine are of the best; They ut the flowers Until my spouse just lowers; scratch al They punctuate my slumbers With sounds which I detest. I love my genial neighbor, But not his troublous flock; Though they are God's creations I greet with objurgations f my Each morn at six o'clock. Their spoiling labor I rather hate to do it, Yet what else shall T do? Ul rig myself a ratchet, Or sharpen up my hatchet, Then straightway Ul go to it And get myself a stew! Clinton Scollard. Ye Wyse Cracker 1 Chaucerian Fragment SO yt did come to passe thot yt wis ) ye turne of ye ‘rilfe of a’ trav ellynge salesmanne, a heartie wam- in, full y-fleshed, to telle a tayle to Ynde didde Patte ynde night the, farmhouse. A fonnic, butte notte > to make ye maydes to blushen and ye olde ye brave compagnie. telle of ynde howe one shee thenne Mique, come ta a lonlic broade tayle ynde one to be sette downe 1 subseribers to wrighten in’ indig: naunte lettyres. Whenne she throc, yt was ve clerk, thot sely fel- st bespake herre faire. “Moddom,” quoth he, “I will saye thot thou knowest thy grosseries!” WoW. was lowe, First POLITICIAN: Has this town got a Srconp Croox: out. “reform element”? No, we ran him comicbooks.com