Life, 1928-09-21 · page 22 of 36
Life — September 21, 1928 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a satirical humor section titled "The Observation Ward—Department of Rumpled Mentality," featuring commentary on China with accompanying cartoons. The main joke appears to reference geographic and cultural absurdities: China is described as bounded by "bad weather" on the north, "wet salt" on the east, and a "dirty ditch" on the north—clearly nonsensical descriptions replacing actual geography, used for comedic effect. The cartoon panels show: people in a canal jam in China identified by their molars (satirizing racist stereotypes about physical differences), a figure repeatedly saying "No!" to various requests (appears to mock Chinese negotiation or communication styles), and a reference to "Chinese blondes" as an oxymoron joke. The humor relies on period stereotypes about China and Chinese people—common in early 20th-century American satirical magazines. The "Delicatessen rocket" reference is unclear without additional context. This represents the casual, often offensive ethnic humor typical of *Life* magazine's era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
20 LIiFe =———————>—~xzEzz— ee ————___ way to turn, Efficiency is one thing, say we, but over-zealousness is another, and moderation is best in all things. & Well, your scribe’s favorite candidate for gubernatorial honors (Mr. Peter Witt) lost the nomination, but his friends are still pointing with pride to the fact that he got 15 votes to his opponent's 1 in his own home county. Better luck next ume, ‘*Pete!"* ***Our Automobile Club is trying to get the state ‘*Solons’’ to pass a law fixing it so that people driving automobiles will have to have a driver's license like they do in other states. It is thought that many accidents could be avoided if those driving cars knew how to drive them, ***Society and sportsmen as well as all lovers of ‘man’s noblest friend" (the horse) in our city and suburbs are still talking enthusi- astically of the great polo tournament that fin- ished in such a blaze of glory on Sept. 1, inst. For two weeks the village of Gates Mill has been the “mecca” of polo players. It seems it is a kind of horseback shinny. @* Mr. and Mrs. Dan Hanna, Jr., Mr. and Mrs, Windsor T. White, Mr. and Mrs, Charlie Otis, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Perkins, were among those giving partics for the polo boys. There were also some “‘stag" parties, but your scribe could not obtain any details of the same. Ted Robinson. HOUSTON J. W. Neat and Mrs. Neal have estab- lished a $100,000 fund the interest on which is to be used for giving medical treatment to chil- dren who need it. Houston needs more such citizens say we. ***Houston’s physicians are doing a land office business writing hay-fever prescriptions be- tween sneczes. W. C. Cooper says his wife has sneczed all her features loose, but ye scribe saw her recently and she is as charming as ever. W. C. must have been joking. ***Mr. Safford of the Missouri Pacific and G. A, Mistrot and Colonel Hoover and one or epartment of Rumpled Mentality — [ee Observation Ward | ( yeyts is bounded on the north by bad weather, on the east by wet salt and on the north by a dirty ditch. (See cut.) The climate is unlike that of Panama during an two others went to Dallas recently. When ye scribe asked John Hoover why he went he said for the same reason he went to France—because his expenses were paid. Some people would go to Chicago if they could go for nothing. ***Frank Sterling who built a summer home out beyond Kerrville on the Guadalupe is summering with his family in California. ***Forrest_ Lee Andrews is golfing at Estes Park, Colorado, where his mother has joined him to accompany him home for the opening of Rice Institute. He says there is no place like home, He says that because Houston is the only place he ever made a hole in one. &* James Malcolm Stewart, of Katy, is getting ready to go away to Vanderbilt with the intention of becoming a lawyer. Up to the pres- ent, however, he is one of the most truthful young men ye scribe knows. Judd Mortimer Lewis. DENVER Mr. J. Stocksripce Barrows and Mr. Robert G, Packard, Phys. & Surg., will debate in the Knights of Pythias Hall on ‘*Resolved: That I Caught the Last Fish Ever Seen in Bear Creek," both sides taking the affirmative, ***NeicHsorHoop News, in a copyrighted story tomorrow, will print the reply of Manager of Parks and Improvements C. D. Vail to charges by the Parent-Teacher Association that the rein- deer in Denver's Mountain Parks are suffering from lack of ice. **The reindeer,’’ Mr. Vail will say in part, “‘are simply molting and I will have them in dandy shape by Christmas.”” Two locals, Alfred D. Runyon and Robert B. Mantle. are holding down big writing jobs in the East. Good work, Alfred and Robert. ***Mr. Theron Field, popularly known as "Cy," is the proud purchaser of the limp- leather “Lives and Messages of the Presidents’ in thirty-seven volumes, two of which will go over the mantel with the O. Henry set. ***Not to be outdone by Mr. Field, Dean James Grafton Rogers of the Law School is nego- Gating for an authentic watch fob owned by Chester Alan Arthur, formerly of the Spring, ““Watch"* out for fakes, Dean. . ***Arapahoe Surcet is being torn up, @& Thirty Years Ago Today—The Ute war is over. Arapahoe Street is being torn vp, Mr, Theron Field has just purchased “The Pe. sonal Memoirs of U. S. Grant.”” ***While vacationing recently ye ed, spent an enjoyable afternoon figuring out that in 1540 his birthday would have come on Wednes- day. T. H. Ferril. DETROIT “T nave driven the smile off Gov. Green's face," says George Welsh, who is running for governor himself. And that’s quite a good ways to drive it, too, ch, George? . ***The oil and other refuse in the water at Belle Isle beach are no longer annoying bathers, we are credibly informed. Supt. of Schools Frank Cody reports the enrollment of scholars is greater than ever before, it having been necessary to hire a num- ber of new professors in the seventh and eighth grades. ***For an entire week there has been no criticism of the size of Belle Isle beach and its limited accommodations and its damp bathing suits, we learn from a reliable source ***The writer recently made a week's tour of the big Eastern cities via the motor route and saw many far-famed points of interest, but after all there is only one city where life is worth living, and the initials of that are Little Old Dewoit. &% Seventeen new churches costing more than $3,000,000 will open in the vicinity of Detroit golf links this fall. ***The Belle Isle bathing beach has been closed for the year. Elmer C. Adams. ice jam in the Canal.(See cut.) Dem- ocrats in China are identified by their having molars in front and in- cisors at the sides, due to the prac- tice of sitting sideways at the table. (See cut.) Chinese blondes are re- supply is as good as can be expec: ted under the peculiar conditions, | everything considered, in view of the circumstances.(See cut.) The delicatessen racket in the west- ern provinces has practically gone to pot, due to the activities of the | bandit "White Wolf;’ which is Chi- nese for gefulte fish.(Cut) It is now just nine oclock, Eastern Darkness De arded with quite some awe, char- acteristically expressed in the lo- cal idiom, “Awe, rot!”(No cut) At other times the municipal water laying Time, if any. (No cut.) comicbooks.com mo' hig Lev mal plic tol tha wh