Life, 1885-01-15 · page 11 of 16
Life — January 15, 1885 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Explanation for Modern Readers This page contains two distinct pieces: **Left side — "The Charge of Adulteration":** A humorous poem parodying Tennyson's famous war poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade." It describes a boarding-house character called "Knock 'em Stiff," a traveling salesman, who loudly demands inedible breakfast items—alum bread, burnt peas, oleomargarine, and suspicious coffee. The joke satirizes cheap boarding-house food quality and the character's dramatic, outrageous complaints about adulteration (food mixed with inferior ingredients). The boarding-house residents flee in terror from his rants. **Right side — Theater reviews:** Professional assessments of contemporary stage productions, including praise for actor Lawrence Barrett's performance in "Francesca da Rimini" and notes on other plays at Wallack's theater. **Bottom cartoon:** A simple illustration about discretion, showing someone being warned not to discuss compromising circumstances. The page reflects late-19th-century American concerns about food fraud and boarding-house conditions, popular entertainment, and social propriety.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
AVE ATQUE VALE. Kx ‘EM STIFF was our pet crank, the pride of | boarding-house B. ; and being a drummer.he went off every week, generally with a bang. Last week he exploded. | This is how it happened, as reported by one of the remnants‘ THE CHARGE OF ADUEPERATION. “ Half a cup, half a cup, “ Half a cup onward,” Thus at the breakfast Old Knock ‘em Stiff thundered. “Forward the Alum bread! Slice it up thin!" he said. All were as still as death— Boarders a hundred. “Forward the alum bread !” Some grinned at what he said, Some thought he ‘d blundered. Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, ‘Theirs but to eat and die, Noble one hundred ! Old maid to right of him, Small boy to left of him, Hostess in front of him, Looked wild and wondered. What on earth ails the maid? Why is the boy afraid ? “When shall burnt peas “From this coffee be sundered ?” “ Sugar of white terrene, “ Pickles of copper green, “ Oleomargarine !"— Then cach the fun heard. Boldly he spoke and well, Jaws like the mouth of hell, When they were sundered. Old maid to right of him, Small boy to left of him, Hostess in front of him, Volleyed and thundered ; Right through their lines, he broke, Boarders knew ‘t was no joke. Cheap clerk and dudelet Reeled from his awful stroke Shattered and sundered. Then they came back, but not, Not the whole hundred. Many the bills they paid, O, the wild charges made ! The landlady pondered. Honor the break they made ! Honor old Knock ‘em Stiff ! One of a hundred! FRANCESCA DA RIMINI. R. LAWRENCE BARRETT'S rendering of Lanci- otto is ascholarly and impressive piece of acting. The bitterness, the love, and the headstrong, passionate, re- pentant anger of the hunchback Duke are portrayed with a rare force and intelligence. Of Mr. Barrett's position as an artist there is little question, and every year seems to bring improvement. His sincerity and earnestness are in themselves a most refreshing element. . . . HE play is a good one; well constructed, clean cut, and interesting from the very outset. The dialogue is forc- ible and to the point. Of mirth there is no dearth. The acting throughout is better than we wer e prepared for and Miss Marie Wainwright as Francesca, Mr. Louis James as Pepe the fool, and Mr. Mosley as Paola, do much toward the success of the piece. We must say, however, that the voice and accent of Guido, Lord of Ravenna, are more sug- gestive of the pastures of Vermont than the vineyards of Italy. . . . ‘OR the bloodthirsty there is a rich treat in store as the curtain goes down on two murdered lovers and a sui- Mr. Barrett is the suicide. ‘Thus are the four principal actors disposed of, Mr. James having been strangled in a pre- vious scene. cide. . . . NOTES. ICTOR DURAND, at Wallack’s, has proved to be as thoroughly successful as any play produced at that theatre since the opening. It is booked for a long run. Messrs. Harrigan and Hart bob up serenely once more at YOUR NAME? YOUR ADDRESS? YES, BUT—— Nor a worpD! IT IS FORBIDDEN TO BATHE. IN THIS LAKE AND | AM NOT HERE TO LISTEN TO EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES.—From La Caricature. comicbooks.com