Life, 1928-06-28 · page 12 of 35
Life — June 28, 1928 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains social commentary and a comic strip titled "The Excavation Contractor Helps His Son Celebrate the Fourth." The comic depicts a father using construction equipment (appears to be a steam shovel or excavator) as an improvised Fourth of July celebration tool for his young son. The sequence shows the father operating the machinery to create increasingly elaborate "fireworks" effects—spraying dirt and creating explosions—as a substitute for actual fireworks. The satire critiques working-class ingenuity and safety practices: a contractor repurposes industrial equipment for holiday entertainment, suggesting both resourcefulness and recklessness. The joke relies on the absurdity of using dangerous construction machinery as a children's entertainment device, reflecting early 20th-century attitudes toward workplace safety and parental supervision.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
10 A huge crowd gathered at the Champs- Elysées the other day. I fought my way | through the mob to find the source of interest. They were staring at a French- man. I joined them, and now after a month’s visit here, | know what one of them looks like. He doesn’t wear a béret, a long beard, a cape and a stick. The town is full of Americans, par- ticularly American “writers.” You don’t have to work too hard to be known as a “writer”; all that is necessary is to have contributed a “My Most Embarrassing Moment” letter to the Daily News, or a question to Dr. Cadman’s column, or a treatise on “Why I Think Sex Is a Good Thing” to any one of the Macfadden publications. | must warn you that all of these writers are over here to write a novel. In fact, they're all working on the same one. Do what you can to have a law passed in the States prohibiting novel- wrung. Frances Newman, author of that book with the succinct title, “Dead Lovers Are Faithful Lovers,” just addressed a society of women. She expressed the opinion that all women are congenital writers. This is a conclusion I came to when I read Peaches Browning's _ autobiography, which I thought was infinitely superior to Jack Dempsey’s memoirs. Louis Bromfield, who had a great deal to say about criticism in America, hasn’t got over it yet. He continues to give lec- tures before groups of ladies. What some men won't do for a cup of tea! F, Gemier, the actor, is planning an International Theater Tournament. All countries will be represented at this fes- tival. I can imagine the arrival of Walter Hampden as “The Spirit of Columbus | Circle,” and Miss Mae West stepping daintily off the boat as “Miss America.” Roll that over in your mind as an excel- lent way of getting her out of New York. There is a new hotel going up in Paris to be called Hotel Lindbergh. And all the proprietor of that establishment has to do in order to win two beautifully colored eyes is to call the elevator in his building “We.” Arthur Kober, HOPEFUL Carter (trying to keep up her end of the conversation): And how is your litte boy getting on with his drumming les- sons? Proup Morner: Splendidly! The only thing he doesn’t quite get is the rhythm. In’s generally a wrong road that has no turning. Sister: So all the girls are crazy about you, are they? How do you do it? Brotner: Oh—it's a gift. Sister: Is it? How much? SERVICE “My boy,” said the old lady to a young. ster standing in a drugstore with a smoldering cigarette in his hands, “don't you know that you should not smoke?” “I ain't smokin’,” came the reply. “I'm watchin’ this fag for a lady what's in the phone booth there talkin’. HERG BRENEMAN Tue Excavation Contractor Heirs His Son Cevesrate tHe Fourti Fuvis the cc Sev will t Sev will b Do: about seconc Pat thous: which Avi the p ners atticle aper Zari Sev acres air fi zens Gover Sto 2ero ¢ comicbooks.com