Life, 1886-09-09 · page 5 of 16
Life — September 9, 1886 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis The page contains two distinct elements: **Top cartoon**: "Discussing Mr. Howells" depicts a woman and man in conversation. The caption suggests social commentary about a gentleman "about fifty" who possesses "all the passion of eighty"—likely satirizing either the subject's age-related decline or critiquing romantic pretensions. The specific reference to "Mr. Howells" remains unclear without additional context. **Bottom section**: "Extracts from a Yacht Designer's Diary" presents humorous journal entries documenting a yacht's maintenance problems (fouled bottoms, sail issues, design flaws). The satire targets incompetent yacht design and the owner's complaints, poking fun at wealthy leisure culture and the gap between aspirations and reality. The concluding note from Montreal suggests the yacht ultimately arrived—implying the journey was far more troublesome than intended. Both pieces employ gentle social satire typical of *Life* magazine's approach.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
DISCUSSING MR. HOWELLS, She: | UNDERSTAND HE IS ABOUT FIFTY. He: YES, BUT HE HAS ALL THE PASSION OF EIGHTY. EXTRACTS FROM A YACHT OWNER’S DIARY. HOSE who follow the careers of our vari- ous famous yachts, as detailed in the daily press, must feel deeply thankful that Providence has seen fit to deny them the pos- session of a marine racer. Judging from these reports, a yacht owner's diary must resemble rather painfully the following extracts : NN. ¥., May 1—Launched my new sloop yesterday; named her the Miserere, as I ex- pect to be sea-sick a good deal. The Herald says that we stuck in the mud for four hours, but were finally towed off; it also says that I am a distinguished, wealthy, and enthu- siastic young yachtsman. The reporter must have been the only sober man on board at the | time. People who never took any notice of me before are beginning to be very polite now. May xo— Have had great trouble in getting | the sloop rigged; workmen all struck. Sails don't fit; have got to have new ones made. May 11—Hauled out on marine railway to clean bottom. May 12— Came off railway. May 13— Hauled out on marine railway to | paint and clean bottom. May 14— Came off railway. May 13—Hauled out on marine railway to | clean bottom ; bottom very foul. May 16— Came off railway. May 17— Every wine and liquor dealer in the country has called on me during the last few days. as the Miserere always consumes five hundred cases of claret and a thousand baskets- of champagne in a season! Ye gods! what tanks yachtsmen must be! How I wish I had kept out of the whole thing, and how I hate the sea! However, yachting is the thing now, and | one had better be dead than not in the fashion. May 22—Had trial trip to-day. Got beaten by a couple of colliers. The designer of the Miserere says that it was on account of our bottom being very foul; also that the sails don’t set ; mast is too big and too far forward ; bowsprit too short; ballast in wrong end of her; and her rudder is too small, and she must have a rocker keel. That is all. July 4— Alterations completed. They all say that a yacht as large | July 5— Hauled out to clean bottom ; bot- tom very foul; just as designer said. July 6 — Came off railway. July 7 — Hauled out to clean bottom; bot- tom very foul. Gave her a coat of pot lead for trial trip to-morrow, She looks very mangy. July 8— All ready for trial trip, but tio wind. July 9—No wind. July 1— No wind. July 11 — No wind. July 12—No wind. July 13—No wind. July 14— Hauled out to clean bottom ; bot- tom very foul. July 16—Sick abed. Doctor says I shall have the jumps if I keep this sort of thing up much longer. O dear! how I hate yachting. Skipper says there is a perfect breeze to-day. July 20— Had trial trip to-day ; blew a gale. Carried away topmast, gaff, and bowsprit stay. Designer says that the mast is too small and too far aft; bowsprit too long; more outside ballast necessary, and that she needs cleaning. Sept. 1, Montreal, Canada — Just arrived here. All the yacht’s bills came in yesterday. Roland King. comicbooks.com