Life, 1886-04-01 · page 4 of 16
Life — April 1, 1886 — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 186 This page contains miscellaneous satirical notes and humor rather than a unified political cartoon. Key items include: **"Pictorial Shakespeare"**: A small illustration of a dog with a ball, captioned with a Shakespeare quote about losing one's life rather than bringing dishonor home—likely mocking overwrought dramatic interpretations. **Social Commentary**: Several brief jokes targeting contemporary topics: railroad business practices, women's fashion (bustles), and shipping disasters. One note mocks New York real estate losses during a gale. **"In the Oregon's Saloon"**: A sketch depicting the aftermath of the USS Oregon ship incident, showing damage or chaos in the ship's saloon. The page exemplifies Life's style: punchy satirical commentary on current events, social pretension, and absurdities, aimed at educated readers familiar with news of the day.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LEGAL NOTE. OW the railroad man is skipping, Because he notes with pain That Dame Justice has laid hold of An official known as Jaehne ; And in case our rhyme 's a weak one, We're prepared to bet a tenner, That, at all events, in trouble Is the Aldermanic Jaehne. * * * NDER the title “ Fighting for Life,” an exchange as- serts that a Western desperado held 150 men at bay for ten hours. This is gratifying, but we must say that that Western des- perado must be a very slow reader to need ten hours for our consumption. . ° . PICTORIAL SHAKESPEARE. “TI RATHER WOULD HAVE LOST MY LIFE BETIMES, THAN BRING A BURTHEN OF DISHONOR HOME."—Henry V1. * * * E are sorry for that King of the Coop, known as the Rooster. He is a Son that never sets. . . . T HE Cunard Company is said to have the employment of Commodore Reid and Admiral Dana, of the 7rtbune and Suz, in contemplation. As seamen on shore these gentlemen are without their equals. . * . T breaks Mr. Cyrus W. Field’s heart to see his paper, the Mail and Express, referred to as our Peer-less contem- porary. . . . A GERMAN divinity student of Brooklyn, Martin Off, in order presumably to get Martin on, has had his name changed to Martinoff. Thus does Nihilism invade the most sacred of callings. HEN is a modern alderman not an alderman? When he does not take al der man can get. * . . HY do girls wear bustles ? Because it 's swell. . . . HERE is a rumor in marine circles that the Oregon struck some of the New York real estate blown to sea during the February gale. . . * i iy avert a boycott of the publishers we would announce that “ Atalanta in the South,” by Maud Howe, has no connection with the recent sea voyage of Jay Gould, capitalist. * . . ITERARY swash and drivel often serve a purpose when administered in moderate doses, but the ‘“ Bos- tonians” fills 449 pages. There was a report in New York some months ago that a New England lady was reading it, but the tale lacks confirmation. The only way of accounting for Mr. James being in the mental condition that allows of his writing such stuff is that he reads his own productions. IN THE OREGON'S. SALOON. * * . ISS CHRISTMAS, an American girl, has married a French marquis. Christmas always was proverbial for good will to men, -comicbooks.com