Life, 1883-03-15 · page 8 of 16
Life — March 15, 1883 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Saint Patrick's Day Satire This page satirizes Irish-American St. Patrick's Day celebrations, specifically mocking the stereotype of Irish exiles ("bold exile of Erin") parading through streets in exaggerated formal dress—"high hat and collar exultant in starch"—after drinking whiskey or beer beforehand. The cartoon ridicules the elaborate regalia: a "proud Marshal" in ceremonial sash, oversized shamrock bouquets, and badges described mockingly as large as "a sixteen-quart pail." The satirical poem warns that observers should notice the coat-tails these exiles wear are so long "a gentleman seeing a batting / Can tread on it easily if he but dares"—suggesting both the pretentiousness and potential for drunken street confrontations during these parades. The bottom illustration depicts Saint Patrick's Day parade revelry.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
OW boTH THROUGH THE STREETS THE BOLD EXILE OF ERIN, WITH HIGH HAT AND COLLAR EXULTANT IN STARCH, HAVING STOWED A PRELIMINARY WHISKEY OR BEER IN, TAKE UNDER HIS BANNERS HIS (SEVENTEENTH OF) Marcu! BEHOLD THE PROUD MARSHAL ALL SWATHED IN REGALIA, WITH A SASH THAT ECLIPSES THE LATE COMET’S TAIL, A BOUQUET OF SHAMROCKS, EACH HUGE AS A DAHLIA, AND A BADGE LIKE THE LID OF A SIXTEEN-QUART PAIL, OBSERVE ON THE FRIEZE OUR SUCCESS IN NARRATING THE TAIL OF THE COAT THAT FACH BOLD EXILE WEARS, MADE LONG THAT A GENTLEMAN SEEKING A BATING CAN TREAD ON IT EASILY IF HE BUT DARES. A HEALTH TO SAINT PATRICK WITH, ADDED, THE WARNING AT WHICH NEED NO SENSIBLE EXILE BE VEXED, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT PATRICK, HIS DAY IN THE MORNING, BEWARE LEST THE MORNING IN QUESTION’S THE NEXT! ea Tat lok tetanie alot Degrey FR Suman De qoRAcxor oft th Tncdrior off A Gurs-Roose of eg Hndadye Onvar of Hesdnraaneé. comicbooks.com