Life, 1886-07-29 · page 4 of 16
Life — July 29, 1886 — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Page 60 - Satirical Commentary This page contains several brief satirical pieces on contemporary topics: **"Fashion Item"** mocks the prevalence of white plug hats in New York City near the sewers, suggesting they're fashionable but impractical and vulgar—a status symbol for the "conspicuous browsers." **"Some Figures"** critiques literary compensation disparities, noting T.B. Aldrich receives $1,200 per poem while other writers earn vastly different amounts, suggesting the pay structure is arbitrary and unfair. The sketch illustration depicts two women in conversation, likely illustrating social commentary about women's lives or relationships. **"Goathological"** is a humorous footnote about someone joining the Audubon Society for bird-watching interests. The remaining sections comment on Congressional adjournment, diet recommendations, the Western Union telegraph, and Italian street musicians—typical satirical observations on American urban life and politics of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
FASHION ITEM. T is said the fattest lobsters grow near the mouths of sewers. The same principles probably cause the white plug hat to flourish in such exuberance in the city of New York. Nowhere else are they so all-pervading as here. They are sweet, pretty things, and with a certain class of bucks have superseded the straw hat completely. No article of male apparel makes nearly the show for the money; and this fact alone is sufficient to insure its popularity with the sportive New Yorker. It is showy, vulgar, and hot, and harmonizes well with paste diamonds and the most conspicu- ous trowsers. Every “ Gent” should have one. * * * HAT a shame it is that Congress must adjourn. Shall we ever see such a magnificent body of intel- lectual giants together again ? Let us hope not. * * HIS is trying weather for stout people. Too much meat adds materially to their discomfort, and fruit, vegetables and pastry are fattening—and few are they who can live on the memories of last winter’s nourishment. GOATITHOLOGICAL. OH, WHAT BIRD IS THAT? I HAVE JUST JOINED THE AUDOBON SOCIETY AND AM SO INTERESTED IN BIRD CALLS. THAT’S OUR GOAT. SOME FIGURES. I’ is said that T. B. Aldrich gets $1,200 for a poem. We are able to state with equal truth that Whittier is paid $14,000 for each of his poems, and Bret Harte not less than $17,500; that Mr. Howells receives $288,000 for a serial novel, while H. James, Jr., cannot command more than $192,000.25 for the same sort of work. .E. P. Roe’s price varies from half to three-quarters of a million. These figures seem to throw Aldrich into the shade ; but the report about his compensation is just as shady. * * * HERE seems to be a vigorous impression among out- siders that New York is a noisy, ill-governed, villain- ously paved, smelly, extravagant and vulgar rum hole, where money can do everything. This is strange. Some of these outsiders must have been here. * * * HE lover, a commonplace Mr., Much elated to think he had Kr., Would have tried it again, But she cried: “ Refrain ! Lest you rise on my cheek a big Blr.” * * * TUDENT OF MYTHOLOGY: Yes, the dryads some- times suffered from thirst, but not so much so as the modern male dryads who inhabit the mahogany trees of the Hoffm-n House. * * * ECENT events in Congress would seem to indicate Mr. John Lawrence Sullivan as the best representa- tive Massachusetts cansendthere. He could certainly knock out Mr. Laird, of Nebraska, and it is just what Mr. Laird, of Nebraska, needs. Our sympathies would be wholly with John. * * * HY this popular enthusiasm over the Western Union ? What has it done to acquire such a strong grip on the hearts of the people? Why is it that a man will walk several blocks to send a message by any other line? Does he object to the slowest despatch merely because it costs him over twice as much as the quicker? Republics are ungrateful. * * * E are inclined to sympathize with the hand-organ. It is infinitely sweeter than the voice of the average New Yorker ; even than the voice of the Western Stranger who is within the gates. ” But let it go. We must have quiet, and it is far cheaper to starve the Italian nobleman than to waste our money in * decent pavements. comicbooks.com