Life, 1887-04-07 · page 7 of 20
Life — April 7, 1887 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Very Likely" Cartoon Analysis The bottom cartoon depicts two figures in Victorian dress: an "Inquisitive Old Party" (left) asking a gentleman (right) who is dead, whether he can identify the corpse of "a certain Hibernian" (Irish person). The gentleman replies it's "the gentleman in the hearse yonder." The satire appears to target anti-Irish sentiment and possibly mock those who would deny knowing Irish victims or perpetrators of violence. The joke's dark humor hinges on the absurdity of asking someone to identify a corpse they're standing near—suggesting either willful ignorance or complicity in pretending not to recognize the victim. The cartoon likely references broader 19th-century Anglo-Irish tensions, though the specific historical incident remains unclear without additional context.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
-LIFE- THE RISE AND FALL OF EMPIRES. YEARS ago, when noting the changes in the earth's surface, tists proclaimed that the shores of New Jersey were sinking ; while, on the other hand, those of Norway were rising. They proved their case by personal inspection—first riding over the salt marshes (between New York and Newark) and then consulting pictures of Norway cliffs in back numbers of the London Graphic. This statement made it plain to the sovereign people of New Jer- sey, that some mighty power was fooling with their State, and they asked themselves the question: * What can be done to remedy the evil?” Then, like true Yankees, they went to work to find the answer. ‘They hired the Herald chart maker to draw a profile map of the situ- ation, and he has just completed his work. The map shows the depression of the New Jersey and upheaval of the Norway coast, as compared with the surrounding surface of the earth. ‘The substratum of Jersey mud extends down from the ocean's bed, and forms a belt of submarine soil from the state on one side to the kingdom on the other. As the Norway coast rises, it draws after it, by the suction system, this immense belt of mud, and New Jersey being fastened to the opposite end, is naturally obliged to follow—thus sinking slowly but surely below its former clothes-line altitude. The extent of Norway's robbery will be fully appreciated by observ- ing that her coast is already high enough to be snow-capped; while that of Jersey does not even rise to the low-water mark—or even to the requirement of a sunset gun. ‘The,arrows show the direction in which the mass is moving—Nor- wayward. Above, upon the surface of the ocean, will be observed the steamer Thingvatla. Please bear in mind that the above map is made in accordance with the theory of Columbus, #, ¢., that the earth is round. LiFe, however, will not hold itself responsible for any miscalculation in this direction. Certainly the result isastounding. The map shows the whole affair to be a clear case of national poaching. Norway's crags draw thousands of tourists to her shores, conse- quently her cliffs are valuable. But, like a true monopolist, she is | 194 not satisfied with the earth, and is trying to better herself, even at the expense of a weaker neighbor ; by an underground, syphonlike arrange- ment (see map) she saps the land from New Jersey. The malarial gases on the surface of our State press it down, while the rarefied air of cold Norway constantly lifts that country. Thus the natural agencies work, and Jersey falls while Norway rises. ‘What will be the ultimate result? Asbury Park, Ocean Grove and Long Branch will some day be watering-places in Norway. Now, the only thing New Jersey gains by this is—atmosphere ; for, by a well-known scientific law (Hu-x/ey, vol. viii., p. 1113), Nature abhors a vacuum ; consequently, as the Yankee's land sinks, air rushes in to fill the vacant space. Thanks to kind fate, her politicians, seeing a chance for patronage, will incorporate the matter into the next canvass as a ** local issue," and thus aid their State—by the appointment of a Special Commission, which will be sent abroad, under fat salaries, and all expenses paid. ‘The members of this commission will at once inspect the soil of Norway, and if they find in it any traces of Jersey mud, they will have prima facie evidence (Evarts, Rulings on Mud, vol. ii., sec. 8, p. 27) of a fraud, and act accordingly. First procuring an injunction against fur- ther trespass, they will present to the king of those parts, the claim of New Jersey, viz.: 1. $100 per cubic foot for all soil taken from the State of New Jer- sey, U.S. A.; oF, 2. Send back, by the ‘Thingvalla Line, all Scace. T SWOT WF IT yh. rocks and dirt wrongfully acquired. And the king ‘of those parts will doubtless accept the latter mode of reparation. Wallace Peck. VERY LIKELY. Inquisitive Old Party: MY GOOD MAN, C. 1S DEAD? Newly Arrived Hibernian : Ni THE GINTLEMAN IN THE HEAR: N YOU TELL ME WHO YER HONOR, BUT Ot THINK IT’S. YONDER. comicbooks.com