Life, 1885-08-06 · page 12 of 16
Life — August 6, 1885 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Some Grease Combination" - Life Magazine Satire This page satirizes incompetence and mishaps in contemporary American life, circa 1880s. The top cartoon shows "Combination No. 12"—a waiter dropping plates, creating a collision of disaster. The joke plays on the term "combination," mocking how various failures combine into chaos. The text items below mock specific figures and events: - **D.B. Hill** and a baseball club dispute - **Harry Wilkes** (likely a horse or athlete) attempting something physical - **Courtney and Teemer**—apparently competitors in some endurance contest involving tea and rowing - **Saratoga** racing town gossip - **Salisbury and the Mahdi**—British imperial politics, mocking British bravery claims after the Mahdi's death in Sudan The "British Courage" section satirizes politicians' sudden boldness once danger passes. Throughout, Life employs wordplay and innuendo to ridicule public figures, sports personalities, and political events of the moment in characteristically sharp satirical style.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
SOME GREASE COMBINATION + COMBINATION No. 12. O* very good authority we learn that the New York State Government Baseball Club will not re-engage D. B. Hill for next season. . MATCH has been arranged between a relay of mes- HALLAS should be more careful. To demolish a senger boys and the Philadelphia Press, to see which handsome piece of Majolica in such an off-hand fashion | jg the slowest. Bets of two to one are freely offered on the is worthy of the most accomplished of French maids. | Philadelphi ‘ ‘ ‘ | Philadelphia team. T is rumored that Harry Wilkes is going to try his hand | LITERARY ITEM. (or more correctly his feet) on Phallas. We hope to see a good encounter, but from recent events we are inclined | PU SIONE has finished Stepniak’s book, and confesses to think that Phallas will again show his one, two, three and | that the author couldn’t have hit on any title more all over performance. apt than the one he chose, “Russia under the Teasers.” . * . I EPORT has it that Courtney and Teemer are to engage in a match, The man drinking the most poisoned tea, BRITISH COURAGE. sawing the most boats, and rowing the shortest distance in a 73 HARTOUM must be retake: given time to take the money. So great Salisbury hath said. * . . How his courage does awaken, T is stated that the reason Saratoga is such a successful Now he’s sure the Mahdi’s dead. racing town is on account of the springy nature of the —— soil. | ONE KIND OF BLACK-AND-TAN—A shoe. oe comicbooks.com