Life, 1884-09-04 · page 12 of 16
Life — September 4, 1884 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Explanation for Modern Readers **Top Cartoon:** An American farmer watches British horsemen and fox hunters with bewilderment. The caption satirizes the farmer's lack of enthusiasm for British field sports—suggesting American rural culture finds fox hunting and similar pastimes puzzling or irrelevant compared to their own concerns. **"He Tried His Best":** A humorous anecdote about a poor, uneducated boy ("Buttsy") at Sunday school who lacks a proper name and speaks in dialect. When the superintendent discourages him by withholding picture cards as reward, the boy defiantly withdraws from the congregation—satirizing the condescension of middle-class religious instruction toward poor children. **"The War in the East":** A mock-serious news report about the Boxer Rebellion (references to Chinese laundrymen, French bombardment, coolies). The humor derives from crude ethnic stereotypes—fake Chinese place names ("Chow-chow," "Too-Lung") and phonetic dialect spelling ("Flench," "allee same")—treating the conflict as comic rather than serious. This reflects contemporary American attitudes toward both the conflict and Chinese immigrants.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE AMERICAN FARMER SHOWS A STRANGE WANT OF ENTHUSIASM FOR BRITISH SPORTS, HE TRIED HIS BEST. Y boy,” said the Sunday-school superintendent to a small urchin, “ what is your name ?” “ Dunno nothin’ ‘bout it,” he answered. “Oh, yes, you do! You know your catechism, I am sure,” said the superintendent, encouragingly. ‘* Now, what's your name, M. or N. ?” “ Guess it's M.” “ Oh, no, it can't be M.” “Then I kinder think it's N.” “No; it is neither M. zor N.” “ Well, then, ‘t ain't neither of ‘em !" “ You are right, so far,” the patient superintendent replied. “Now complete your good beginning by telling me what your name really is.” “ Hain't got no name!” “ Dear, dear! How extremely ungrammatical. I wonder if it is Logan?” thought the superintendent; and he added aloud, “ What do your little playmates call you ?” “ Buttsy! Gimme one o' them pictur cards ?” The superintendent sadly shook his head. “Yer won't, hey? Then I'm durn ‘f I don't go right home ‘n bust open my mite-chest 'n spend every red cent | what 's in it fer miggles 'n chewin’-terbacker !" The next Sunday morning there was one little upright figure missing from the ranks; one tender uplifted voice wanting in the joyous hymn; one less carpet-tack upturned reposing on the teacher's chair, Quip Times? J. G. B—New York Times! CHICKENS that Never Come Home to Roost—Mother Carey's. THE WAR IN THE EAST. ONDON, Aug. 25.—A telegram from the Chinese Em- bassy announces that Chow-chow was bombarded by | the French this morning. A large army of Chinese laundrymen, under the command of Li-Like Theduce, is garrisoned at Too-Lung. This is | regarded as an unnecessary precaution, as Admiral Jonni- frenche says that he has no intention of attacking Too-Lung, but will concentrate his efforts on Jus-Tlung-Enuf. The fight yesterday at Hang-Hai was a very hot one. So | hot, in fact, that a regiment of Coolies was sent for by return | mail to re-enforce the Chinese, who have been largely re- duced by this exhausting work at Koko-Chelunk and Chelay- Li. Col. Hi, from the low lands, with seven hundred sky- | rockets arrived last evening at Chow-chow, and confidence is in a measure restored. Considerable alarm is felt in the town owing to the scarcity of food, and the Coolies have been put on half portions of fire-crackers. The mortality among the Puz-Zules, a friendly tribe, is increasing, and the presence of four cholera germs at the German Consul’s, has done little to allay the fears of the people, N.Y., Aug. 26.—The Chinese Minister was interviewed | yesterday on the subject, and he expressed his opinion that the “ Flench were too damee flesh.” But he had “hlopes of a slatisflactoly slettlement ‘fore longee, allee same.” The French Government insists that until the Chinese reduce their tariff on collars and cuffs from ten cents to five cents a dozen, no mediation will be possible. On the other hand, the Mandarins are firm in the belief that French-China will be injured to such an extent by further operations that the French Government will have to put up with the present laundry rates. comicbooks.com