Life, 1885-11-05 · page 5 of 16
Life — November 5, 1885 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 257 **Main Cartoon: "Reception in Philadelphia"** The sketch depicts a waiter offering ice cream with a fork instead of a spoon to a diner. The caption indicates this occurs in Philadelphia, with the waiter claiming he "forgot" proper utensil etiquette. This appears to be gentle satire about Philadelphia's provincial or unsophisticated manners compared to New York standards—a common East Coast regional joke. **"Scraps" Section:** Brief humorous anecdotes, including jokes about papal mediation, a Parisian dog, and a Philadelphia cat. These are light filler content typical of the magazine. **"A Definition":** Satirical poem mocking elections, describing them as manufactured spectacles involving money, backguardism, and deception—commentary on political corruption and voter manipulation in the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
SCRAPS, F the Pope mediates successfully in the dispute about the Caro- line Islands, it is likely that American base-ball managers will be after him as an umpire for next season. A MAN in Paris has a dog that barks the Mar- seillaise Hymn. A GERMAN author is writing a book to be en- titled “‘ The Watch on the Rind,” which will describe the misfortunes of a police- man who stepped on a slice of watermelon, slip- ped down and sprained | his pistol. A BIG Tom cat in Philadelphia sheds _ his skin every year. It is reported that Sit- ting Bull is engaged to a Washington belle. He thinks that sich a marri- | age would go a long way towards solving the In- dian problem. A MILLDAM broke in a Bulgarian State, a few, days ago, and washed the whole State over into a neighboring principality. The king of the overflowed State is trying to recover | +15 FORK, his lost territory by a suit | Watter (from New York): | PHILADELPHIA, in a Justice’s court. A DEFINITION. OULD you know what elections really are? A true description of them would be funny. They re often manufactured by a bar, Beer, boodle, blackguardism, men, and money, All tending at one time to make or mar The candidate who spreads the thickest honey, To catch those human flies who buzz and crawl About the refuse of some ward or hall. To make a free, enlightened people's choice, All that is needed is a packed convention, To which is shipped by rail, a large invoice Of freemen worthy of the highest mention SCENE: RECEPTION IN PHILADELPHIA. Young Gentleman: WAITER, BRING ME A SPOON FOR THE ICE CREAM INSTEAD OF OXcUSE ME, I CLEAN FORGOT I VAS THIS NIGHT IN Who 'Il surely make a boss's heart rejoice, So closely to his words they pay attention, And for a paltry dollar bill apiece Will vote and follow like a flock of geese. Add unto this a vast fund of pretence, Pose as the laborer’s advocate and friend, Proclaim your merits on each post and fence, And fight the wealthy to the bitter end, State your majority will be immense, Foolish aliens, cheques, and posters send. All this will surely your opponent rout Unless your hired allies sell you out. SLES: For A WHEELMAN—“ A miss is good as a mile.” comicbooks.com