Life, 1887-08-18 · page 4 of 16
Life — August 18, 1887 — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 88 This page contains miscellaneous satirical notes and anecdotes rather than formal political cartoons. The content includes: **"The Ambitions of Men"** — A poem mocking various national stereotypes: British ambitions for comfort, Russian desires for power, French financial scheming, and American materialism. **"Mrs. Spriggins says Venice is *docks et praeterea nihil*"** — A joke about pretentious social commentary. **Various brief satirical items** about mining exhaustion, Pullman car costs, messenger boys, and linen manufacture—typical turn-of-century business and social observations. **"A New Jersey Desperado"** — An illustration (unclear without clearer image) apparently mocking minor crime or regional stereotypes. **"He Was Glad"** — A dialect joke about an Irish boy and a broken bathtub, playing on ethnic humor common to the period. The page reflects *Life's* format of short satirical commentary on contemporary American and international affairs.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE AMBITIONS OF MEN. Gee GARDEN should be given a thorough raking. There are too many dock weeds and other fungus growths to be found there. H’ untitled Britain sets his heart On living well and dying ‘* Bart." His soul of souls the Frenchman sets On overturning cabinets. HE Czar writes to the widow of M. Katkoff that he will pray for the repose of her husband's soul. Mrs. Katkoff should decline the honor at once if she de- sires her husband's soul to get any repose. The Czar’s orders are apt to be disregarded outside of Russia. Th’ ambitions of the Russian lie In scattering Czars throughout the sky, And every loyal Roman's hope Is to make it pleasant for the Pope. ° . . The Teuton’s quite an easy jogger, And all he asks is cheese and lager : While Uncle Sam's whole life is spent In raking in th’ immortal cent. MINING exchange says that the Comstock vein has been worked twenty-seven years and is nearly ex- hausted. There is a Comstock vein around New York that has been worked about as much as it can stand, but it unfortunately gives no sign of exhaustion. . . . RS. SPRIGGINS s Venice is docks et praeterca nthil. A LFONSO, King of Spain, gave a state game of Peek-a- booh to his Cabinet on Wednesday last. . . . OVERNOR HILL is not a very lofty eminence, al- though he has no vegetation on his summit. . . . HE friends and admirers of the late Herr Krupp will be glad to know that he is to be canonized. . . ’ EVERAL ballet girls intend suing a Chicago paper for libellous commenis on their costumes. It is to be hoped they will secure redress. . . . HE average cost of a Pullman car is about $15,000. A NEW JERSEY DESPERADO. The vestibule car costs $18,000, but the colored porter will black your shoes for two dollars just the same. VERY large number of Irish names end with “agh.” Agh generally means field in Irish. Thus Cavanagh means hollow field; Curragh, rice-field. Cyrus W. Agh would sound a little too Irish for Mr. Field's visiting Dukes. which may account for his not writing himself down an Agh. L? EN was first made in England in 1253, and only . . . worn by the luxurious, Collar day is still observed with great pomp by the aris- HE WAS GLAD. tocracy. 66 JOHNNY, my son, do you know you broke the Sab- * * * bath,” said Johnny's mamma, sadly. PROMINENT broker remarked the other day that the “Thank heaven!” retorted Johnny, vehemently. B. & O, would make Western Union sweat. “Why, John, what do you mean?” Western Union holds water enough to stand a good deal “Oh, well, I'm glad the old thing’s broke; I don’t like the of perspiring. Sabbath.” > ROHMA messenger boy was arrested in London because he impeded traffic. Londoners travel faster than American messenger boys. comicbooks.com