Life, 1928-04-12 · page 9 of 42
Life — April 12, 1928 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two separate items: **Top illustration**: A motorist asks a native for directions to the next town. The native's reply—that it's "further'n it is, but it ain't"—is a rural joke about deliberately unhelpful or circular directions, poking fun at backwoods communication styles common in early 20th-century American humor. **Main article**: "Why We Enjoy a Game at the Polo Grounds" discusses baseball players, referencing figures like Artie Fletcher, Larry Doyle, and others associated with what appears to be the New York Giants. The text compares different players' fielding abilities, suggesting this discusses contemporary baseball talent evaluation. The center illustration shows knights in combat, captioned "And so on, far into the knight"—a pun on "knight/night." The page reflects period attitudes about rural dialect humor and sports journalism analysis typical of early 1900s Life magazine.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Moronrist: Is it very far to the next townP Native: Wa’al, stranger, it seems further’n it is, but it ain't. Why We Enjoy a Game at the Polo Grounds “QAY, listen a minute, will ya? Hornsby wasn’ no __ fielder. Hornsby was only a slugger, see? This guy Cohen is a fielder. Sweetest li'l fielder since Larry Doyle. ’Mem- ber Larry Doyle?” “Whadya mean since Larry Doyle? What about Frisch?” “Frisch? Well, Frisch wasn’ so much on fieldin’." Frisch was more of a base-runner. But this guy Cohen isa fielder, see? Frisch, he was more like Buck Herzog. "Member Buck Herzog?” “But Frisch was a fielder too.” “Sure Frisch was a fielder. But he couldn’ compare with this guy Cohen. Frisch was weak on hits to his lef, But this guy gets ‘em jes’ as good on his lef’ as on his right Makes me think a lot of Arthur Brid- well. ‘Member Bridwell ?” “Cohen missed that one. That was on his left.” “Tha's aw right. You can’t expec’ him to get ‘em all. Tha’ was a mean one. Took a mean hop. No guy ever can get those. Hell, I r’member how Devlin uster have a tough time gettin’ those kind. An’ Devlin was good. "Member Devlin?” “Jes’ the same, I wish the Giants hadn’t never traded Frisch.” “Tha's becuz you ain't seen Cohen before. Now listen a minute. When “And so on, fer into the knight.” McGraw swapped Artie Fletcher for Bancroft everybody panned ‘im, see? But McGraw knew what he was doin’. "Member what happened? "Member Fletcher with the Phillies? ‘Member what Banny did for the Giants?” “He don’t seem to get his throws to first any too good.” “Who, Cohen? Say. That was Bill Terry's fault, that las’ one. Good old Fred Tenney woulda got that one easy. Member Fred Tenney?” “Well, maybe McGraw will develop Cohen inta another Frisch, ya can’t tell.” “Say, he's better now than Frisch ever was, same as Doyl was better'n...” “Scaw Car’s, Gen’s, Geppa Scaw Carp, Ya Canrecia Prayers ’rHouTa Scaw Carp....” Al Graham, “QON,” said the Spartan mother, “come back with your windshield, or upon it.” comicbooks.com