Life, 1887-01-20 · page 3 of 16
Life — January 20, 1887 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 3 This page contains humorous advice columns and jokes typical of Life's satirical format. The main cartoon shows a policeman who has arrested a "young malefactor" and must decide whether to sit on him to maintain proper submission—a visual joke about corporal punishment and police authority. The text sections include mock advice about increasing newspaper circulation (with cynical suggestions like sensationalizing crimes), commentary on fashion, and brief humorous anecdotes. One joke mocks small babies; another questions railroad terminology. The illustration on the right shows a social scene at what appears to be a wedding, captioned "PISCATORIAL," playing on fishing metaphors applied to courtship and marriage prospects—a common satirical theme in this era mocking social ambition and matrimonial scheming among the wealthy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Cia bp | HOW TO INCREASE IT. FE: IFE: Let me read you, my dear, a few sensible re- | marks I have here about increasing your circulation. HusBanp (Eattor N. Y. daily): What's the use? I un- derstand it better than anybody else. Slap in all the mur- ders, rake over all divorce cases and scandals carefully, for the most racy details; cater to the masses ; sing of the wrongs | of the workingmen; give your readers “pictures ;” write up | graphically all robberies, assaults and elopements; lie like | thunder about the circulation you have got. what they say, isn’t it ? That's about | WIFE: No, not exactly. This says take a walk before | breakfast and use Dr. Killum’s liver pills for the blood. HEN little boys indulge in slippery proceedings their mothers are apt to do the same. If this should chance to meet the eye of any little boy, he should cut it out and paste it in his Waterbury watch. ANTICIPATING. OUNG LADY (expecting, to brother): Bob, what is the most fashionable color for a bride ? BoB: Well, sis, I don’t know about fashion, but for me, I should prefer a white one. R. EVARTS has received a flattering offer from Mme. Tussaud’s London show for the hat he has worn since Hayes was inaugurated. THE BEST WAY. L. HOLBROOK has written a book on “How to + Strengthen the Memory.” He omits the most fashionable of strengtheners, that of tying a string about the forefinger. PoLiceMaN No, 000, HAVING CAFTURED A YOUNG MALEFACTOR WHO PROVES UNRULY, HAD TO SIT UPON HIM TO BRING HIM INTO A PROPER STATE OF SUBJECTION. HE THINKS HE MAY HAVE SAT EITHER TOO HEAVY OR A MOMENT TOO LONG. PISCATORIAL. Miss V.: YOU SEEM TO BE BEST MAN AT ALL THE WEDDINGS, Mr. B. WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE A LEADING PART YOUR- SELF ? Mr, B,: OH, THERE ARE AS GOOD FISH IN THE,SEA AS EVER CAME OUT OF IT. Miss V.: YES, BUT DON’T YOU THINK THE BAIT IS GETTING A | LITTLE STALE ? A PROPER QUESTION. ALK about small babies!” exclaimed old Mrs. Bent- ly, “ why, when I was born I was so small that they | put me in a silver sugar-bowl and put on the cover.” “What ! and did you live?” asked old Mr. Bently. “cc N certain railroad catastrophes, would not the term co/- “ide-escoping be more literally correct than telescoping ? HAD EXPERIENCE. OU say that you have only been in this country three | months,” said a lady to an applicant to become mistress of the kitchen. “I'm afraid you haven't had expe- rience. Were you at service before you came to this country ?” “Dade an’ I wasn't, mim! Me feyther was wilthy, an’ owned a cow an’ two pigs, but I’ve had experience since I've been here. In the three months, I’ve been in twinty-sax places.” | “6 QUERY. T would be interesting to know if a rose by any other name would cost as much at this season of the year. | | | A Mantell Piece—Tangled Lives. comicbooks.com