Life, 1886-07-08 · page 12 of 16
Life — July 8, 1886 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Explanation for Modern Readers This page from *Life* magazine contains: **Top Cartoon**: A satirical French design (credited to *La Caricature*) depicting an absurdly complex elevated railway system sprawling over Paris. The joke mocks over-ambitious urban planning—the tangled, impractical maze of tracks suggests Parisian infrastructure proposals were chaotically conceived. **"Foreign Notes"**: Brief satirical jabs at contemporary figures and events: - British Parliament's crude conduct (throwing objects) - Lord Tennyson's opinion on American poet laureate - Irish politician Parnell defending Home Rule - German weapon innovation (plow-handles as pistols) - A French editor who died in a duel after self-insult **"Rose of May"**: A sentimental poem about unrequited love, where the speaker warns a woman not to be too difficult or her suitor will leave her—reflecting Victorian-era gender attitudes. **Bottom Notes**: Humorous brief jokes, including a jab at a "Chicago dude" for mastering basic arithmetic—mocking both Midwestern pretension and dime-museum spectacles. The page blends political commentary with light humor typical of 1880s American satirical magazines.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
PROJECT FOR ELEVATED RAILWAYS AT PARIS. [From La Caricature.] FOREIGN NOTES. N the House of Commons yells, howls and turnips are still popular as instruments of disapprobation, but the more sedate members strongly condemn the throwing of spittoons and the pole- mical use of profane epithets. LORD TENNYSON expresses the opin- ion that Miss Cleveland ought to be made poet-laureate of the United States. Mr. PARNELL denies that the form | of Home Rule for which he is work- ing involves the subjection of England to Ireland, with an Imperial Irish Parliament at Dublin attended by a dozen English members. Ir is thought that Switzerland will annex Henry Watterson before he re- turns to America. THE Germans are inventing a plow of which the handles can be unscrewed and used as pistols whenever the plow- man is surprised by an unexpected French attack. THE COLUMN VENDOME TO BECOME A STATION, THE STATUE OF NAPOLEON SERV- ING AS A SIGNAL AGENT, ROSE OF MAY. HE sunlight lingers on the bill For love of you—my rose of May ! I've lingered here against my will For love of you, this many a day. “‘ The sun comes back to-morrow.” True! By then I shall be far away ; He may have nothing else to do— I own / have, my rose of May ! In old days women ruled the world, And men knew how to wait, they say ; But love-locks, now, have come uncurled— Such chivalry has passed away. Man has found out /e has a will, If too exacting prove your sway ; Why, Jack will find another Jill Less hard to please, my rose of May ! Next time love finds your garden gate, Ah! lift the latch, my rose of May! Don’t leave him thete to watch and wait— Believe me, dear, it does n’t pay ! When chance, like a resistless tide, Sweeps opportunities your way, Oh! take the goods the gods provide— When they provide them, rose of May! N energetic editor, who recently had charge of two local papers at Poictiers, France, has just died. He insulted himself in one of his journals and subsequently shot himself in a duel. VasE—A high-toned jug ; contrivance for galling amateurs. |" is announced by telegraph that a Chicago dude has mastered the multiplication-table and can say the alphabet backwards while standing on one foot. Applica- tions from dime museums are already beginning to pour in. A GOOD PLACE TO LOAF—The bake-shop.