Life, 1883-07-05 · page 6 of 16
Life — July 5, 1883 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 4 **Top Cartoon:** Depicts a severe hailstorm damaging a covered wagon, illustrating the caption "A fearful hail storm visited this place to-day, doing great damage." This is a straightforward naturalistic illustration rather than political satire. **Middle Cartoon:** Shows citizens measuring enormous hailstones after the storm passes. The caption notes they found stones "three feet in circumference"—clearly exaggerated for humorous effect, typical of 19th-century tall-tale humor. **"The New Aristides" Section:** Satirizes political corruption through dialogue between a citizen and politician. References "The Unjust" (a classical reference to Aristides the Just), mocking politicians who repeatedly win reelection despite acknowledged corruption. The joke: voters knowingly accept corrupt leaders. The page mixes weather humor with political commentary on voter complicity in governmental corruption.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
[Dispatch from Western city.] A FEARFUL hail storm visited this place to-day, doing great damage. When the storm was over, some citizens of undoubted integrity measured several of the hail stones and found them three feet in cir- cumference. THE NEW ARISTIDES. A MODERN Athenian, from among the people, who had just visited the Place of Election for the purpose of casting in his vote for the Governor of the Commonwealth, was thus accosted by is it possible that you have a second time cast your Vote in favor of a Magistrate whose Corruption is only equalled by his Corpulence! Know you not that such as you are the thews®* and sinews of the State ?”” “Yes,” returned the other,” but we are tired of hearing him con- tinually called ‘The Unjust.’” [Boston Advertiser please copy.] A RETROSPECT, Ay G00D six years ago it was That first I knew Christine, When I was in the Junior class, And she was just eighteen. Her eyes were large, and brown, and clear, Her hair was golden bright ; We met at Narragansett Pier, ‘And I was gone at sight. I dangled at my charmer’s feet, And dreamt of marriage bells, I furnished sweets unto the sweet In shape of caramels, The likeness that within them lay To me, I did not spy, For “every hour” fresh were they, And so, alas! was I. That summer time of long ago, How fast it slipped away ! And I adored her more, I know, With each succeeding day. T had to tell her so, at last. How sweet she looked, and fair ! The little breezes, sweeping past, Were playing with her hair. I said if she were not my wife I knew that I should die ; I swore I loved her more than life— And this was her reply : “Like, you, Jack "—her voice was low, Her eyes were downward bent— “ But, Jack, it wouldn't do, you know ; You haven't got a cent !"" ° e . e . ECCLESIASTIC, W E cheerfully recommend to our brother evangelists the noble ex- ample recently set by the Rev. Dr, Everts, South Baptist, and the Rev. Mr. Parker, Congregationalist, of Hartford, of a vigor and zeal certain to bring about excellent results. Mr. Parker, it seems, desired to baptize about 4o children in the holy tank used for that purpose in the South Baptist Church, and having mustered his followers marched thither to the exciting strains of a hand-organ. The news quickly spread, and before the sacred cistern was half-filled with the pious water, the Rev. Dr. Everts arrived on the scene, with war in his eye and about a