Life, 1883-01-18 · page 3 of 16
Life — January 18, 1883 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine, January 18, 1883 The masthead cartoon depicts a nighttime scene with a grim reaper figure looming over a landscape with a church and moon. The accompanying caption—"The truth well stuck-to is as good as a lie"—suggests cynicism about honesty and deception. The page contains editorial commentary and humorous anecdotes rather than explicit political cartoons. Notable pieces include satirical observations about wealthy New Yorkers, cremation practices, and the propriety of whistling around ladies. A substantial section critiques plans to develop Niagara Falls commercially, arguing that natural scenery should be preserved for public enjoyment rather than exploited by manufacturers or turned into a tourist spectacle with "unrestricted access" for newlyweds. The overall tone reflects Victorian-era social satire targeting wealth, commercialism, and changing social mores.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JANUARY 18, 1883. 1155 BRoapway, New York. Copuctep By Joun Ames MITCHELL Axo Epwarp S. MARTIN. ANDREW MILLER, Business Manager. Published every Thursday, $5 a year in advance, postage free. Single copies, 10 cents. CONTENTS. Epirortat. Lire tn Society. Maxims FOR TABLE TALK, Tue Froc, . PRoGRESS IN BAGDAD, - . From A Lerten PosTMARKED Paris, Tue Democratic SANCHO PANza. THe FATHER AND THE S-N. Mr. AND Mrs. RALPH ORMISTON. Newton anv His Doc, Or GentiLity. J. W. Ritey, W. F. ALDEN. G. T. Lanican, A youn wife who had acquired the habit of calling upon her husband for a statement of his receipts and expenditures for the current week, was after a while met with the impatient exclamation, “See here; I support this house, don’t I? I earn the money, don’t 1?” “Yes,” answered the young wife reflectively, “but then, you know, I save it.” A CERTAIN precocious baby had been keenly watched by his fond. mother, who wanted to discover the first signs of future genius. If he scratched the furniture with a pencil he was to be an author. If he opened a book, and made a noise with his mouth, he was to be a preacher. If he imitated some action of an older person he was to be an actor. One.day he had been forcibly emptying the pockets of his “big brother,” who, struck by an idea, ran to his mother and cried: “Oh, mamma, I know what the baby’s going to be—a pickpocket !” Tue truth well stuck-to is as good as a lie. It is reported that the obtainer of the Obelisk has been ordered to Alaska. Can it be that the citizens of New York wish to have the North Pole brought here and set up in Central Park ? Ir cremationists are in “dead earnest” they should introduce some new, cheap, and effective mode of spontaneous combustion. ‘Then every man could be his own undertaker. Ir is considered vulgar to whistle—probably because it is possible to all, and it is held to be impolite to whistle in the presence of ladies; but a New York lady recently expressed herself in its favor, and de- clared that when alone in a deserted street she never has any fear of a passing whistler. This statement shows a profound knowledge of human nature, and is purely philosophical. Anything in the world except whistling presupposes some brain action; but the whistler “whistles as he goes for want of thought,” and will pipe the latest popular air sixteen times in succession, pleased that he has caught the melody, while all in his neighborhood are in an agony of mind: NraGARA FALts must not be abandoned to manu- facturers: Oh no! The Falls must be kept for people to go and look at. Else, what shall we do with our brides ? Can any one contemplate undisturbed the prospect of allowing the newly married to be turned loose upon the community, with unrestricted liberty as to destination as well as behavior? The horror with which such a pros- pect imbues us is unaffected and sincere. When we travel, if our attention is attracted by unusual behav- ior in a fellow-passenger, our annoyance is changed to sympathy if we discover he is going to Utica in charge of a keeper. And in like manner distressing demon- strations are overlooked in persons of opposite genders, whose attire is noticeably new, and whose tickets are stamped “ Niagara Falls.” The object of the “Niagara Falls Association ” is to promote the restoration and improvement of. the scenery of Niagara Falls. We wish the association all success. Has any one suggested to them how effec- tively it would promote the attractions of the place to have an assortment of its hackman hung about on the trees of its primeval forest ? comicbooks.com