Life — August 19, 1886 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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# "A Mt. Deserter Sailing with His Planks" This is a satirical cartoon showing a man abandoning a sinking ship, carrying wooden planks (his "planks" - a pun). The title suggests he's a "Mt. Deserter" fleeing from Mount Desert, likely referencing a specific political or social figure who abandoned responsibilities or principles. The cartoon depicts him escaping while others remain aboard, drowning in the background. The style of dress and illustration suggests early 20th-century American satire. Without additional context about which specific "Mt. Deserter" or historical event this references, the general message is clear: satirizing someone for cowardly abandonment of duty or constituents during crisis, using the ship-sinking metaphor common in political cartoons of the era.