Life, 1886-08-05 · page 3 of 16
Life — August 5, 1886 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "A Harmless Pastime" This satirical illustration depicts a gladiatorial scene where a muscular figure (appearing to represent a boxer or fighter in classical Roman style) holds aloft two smaller figures—likely representing the "Logan-Halstead Combination in their world-renowned gladiatorial contest," as the caption indicates. The satire mocks a famous boxing match or rivalry, possibly between fighters named Logan and Halstead, treating their bout as primitive entertainment comparable to ancient Roman gladiatorial combat. The spectators visible in the background suggest a public spectacle. The accompanying poem "Humanus Est Errare" and the essay discuss summer pests and domestic hardships, suggesting this page juxtaposes trivial entertainment concerns with practical household worries—a commentary on misplaced social priorities.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A HARMLESS PASTIME, THE CELEBRATED LoGAN-HALSTEAD COMBINATION IN THEIR WORLD-RENOWNED GLADIATORIAL CONTEST. HUMANUM EST ERRARE. HE sang of a love that would last— Of a love that would never grow cold , And I fancied her dark eyes sought mine As her voice, full of sweetness untold, Rose and fell. The song broke the seal on my lips— I felt that her thoughts were of me ; So I reasoned, ‘‘ She loves me, ’t is plain, And a sweet little wife she would be— L'll propose.” A mistake ?—yes, a grievous mistake ; But her eyes and her voice are to blame— For they made me conceited and blind, And they ’ve left in my heart a sharp pain— She ’s engaged. N. Buell Ferguson. OW that the ear-piercing fly and the spirit-stirring mosquito have started up their summer concerts again, we are more than ever convinced that the highest claim of the first settlers in this country to fortitude was their willing- ness to remain in a land infested by these insects. Cold, starvation, Indian warfare, might have been faced by any one; but to withstand the winged pests true heroism was required. Besides, the common house-fly of to-day is to the black-fly of the primeval woods as moonlight unto sunlight and as water unto wine; this being a case where moonlight _ and water are preferable. _ Yet our forefathers had an advan- tage over us in the cheapness of summer board. The Pro- testant pilgrims paid no house rent, and the Catholic ones could always hire at low rates commodious shoes, filled with dried peas, for their summer wanderings. Our burdens are so much greater, that the protective tariff on flies and mos- quitoes should be abolished in order that domestic produc- tion may cease and the strain upon our resources correspond- _ ingly lightened. comicbooks.com