Life, 1886-12-16 · page 12 of 16
Life — December 16, 1886 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Page 388 Analysis This page contains three distinct humorous pieces: **"An Interruption"** (top): Two comic panels depicting Irish railroad workers with exaggerated dialect ("Mesilf," "Phwat," "Begorra"). A worker spots something on the tracks, likely a locomotive—a setup for dark humor about workplace danger. **"Some Unlucky Omens"** (bottom left): A satirical list mocking superstition. The final item takes a jab at Congress, suggesting that since Congress inevitably adjourns, its reconvening is actually fortunate because adjournment will follow sooner. **"No Change" and "Papa's Footsteps"** (right): Two brief anecdotes. The first depicts a reunion where a married man admits his wife still dominates him (the "boss girl" of bachelorhood). The second shows a child innocently asking whether a feather belongs to an "angel" or "turkey"—gentle humor about childhood misunderstanding. The page employs period stereotypes (Irish immigrant dialect) and targets marriage, superstition, and congressional absurdity—typical Life magazine satire of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LOOK OUT FOR LOCOMOTIVE AN INTERRUPTION. It’s MESILF THAT'S WONDERIN’ PHWAT THAT SEZ. SOME UNLUCKY OMENS. T is unlucky to meet a cross-eyed man to whom you owe ten dollars, T is unlucky to be run over by an under- taker’s wagon. T is unlucky to fall out of a thirteen-story window on Friday. T is a sure sign of death to have a Mar- | vin’s safe fall four stories | and strike you on the head. EOPLE who deplore that Congress has convened again apparently forget that the sooner it convenes the sooner it is apt to adjourn. Papa's FooTsTEPs. BEGORRA! PHWAT WAS THAT? FECKHAM (meeting an old friend) : Why, Dingley, is this you? I haven't seen you for ten years. How are you, any- how? DINGLEY: Oh, I’m just like I used to be. By the way, Peckham, how’s your wife? You used to say you had the boss girt when you were single. PECKHAM (sadly): She’s still boss. CHILD walking with his father one day, saw a hen’s feather lying in the street. He stopped abruptly, and stood gazing at it for some minutes, then pointing towards it, inquired, “ Angel? — or turkey?” comicbooks.com