Life, 1887-09-29 · page 4 of 16
Life — September 29, 1887 — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 172 This page contains miscellaneous satirical observations rather than a coherent cartoon narrative. The illustrated vignette at bottom shows "A Finished Gentleman"—a well-dressed man in what appears to be a social setting, likely satirizing affectation or pretentiousness in Victorian-era manners. The text items mock various contemporary subjects: Uncle Sam's wealth, a knighted surgeon (Dr. Mackenzie), Jay Gould's intelligence, and incomes. One joke references chess-playing bishops, another critiques the Duchess of Cumberland's social pretensions. A notable item discusses Sullivan's dramatization of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," debating whether it should be called "Hide and Jeck." The final entry praises Sir Dinshaw Manockjee Petit, a Parsee philanthropist who donated a million dollars over twenty years—this appears genuine praise rather than satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
TOO WET. E can stand before a cannon that is loaded down with shot ; We can listen to a temperance man while pleading with the sot; We can go to church on Sunday morn and listen to a preacher, Who talks for eighty minutes straight without a change of feature ; We can regard, without a tear, the weakling New York Giants Attempt to bat the festive ball and thrash the League Alliance— In fact there's very little that we don’t seize with avidity, Except that damp disgusting heat the papers call humidity. . . . HE old lady who keeps cats seems to have a purr-puss in life. . . . [Te Emperor of China has a wife named Kan Di. She must be very sweet. . . . OHN: Your joke relating to the Bishop spending a Knight J in a Pawnshop is rejected because it is a chess-nut. . . . ENRY GEORGE used to be an inspector of gas- meters, but he has been promoted—he is something of a gas-meter himself now. . . . J T isa great thing to be the son af one’s father in the Republican party, but when the sun seems to be setting rather than rising, it is hardly politics. If the Democrats will only nominate S. J. Tildea, Jr., and make an issue between the Son of his Father and the Nephew of his Uncle, the coming campaign cannot fail to be interesting. . . . A PERSONAL item says the Duchess of Cumberland is recovering from her mental troubles, and has resumed her usual occupations. That is to say the Duchess is no longer imbecile and can now take an afternoon nap, drive in Rotten Row and turn up her nose at the common herd in truly ducal style. Come, let us join in hymns of thanks ! A FINISHED GENTLEMAN. T is in no spirit of reverence that we say that in the Century's Life of Lincoln the Martyred President is a sort of Missing Link. . . . NCLE SAM now has over $100,000,000 stored up in his vaults. We doubt the wisdom of Solomon in telling the sluggard to go to his aunt. . . . R. MORRELL MACKENZIE, the eminent English surgeon, has been knighted by the Queen. His new sign reads Sir-geon Mackenzie, M.D. . . . R. HAMMOND has been examining Jay Gould's head to see if there was anything the matter inside. Mr. Gould is said to fear water on the brain, . . ? "PREXAS SIFTINGS says that Zola’'s ordinary income is $60,000 a year. We should call this an extraordinary income. . . . W hardly think it a compliment to say that a man’s name is a household word. D-n is a household word, too, and it is a very wicked household word at that. . . . A® article on the education of the blind is attracting great attention. If the article tells how a blind may be taught not to slam and creak on a windy night, it is a masterpiece. . . . O NE of the acts in Mr. Sullivan's dramatization of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” is called “ Hide and Seek.” According to the new orthoepism of the Doctor's name it would be more appro- priately called “ Hyde and Jeck.” . . . HEY call it a variety show because the average performer in it is one of those individuals who seem to believe that Shakespeare was right when he said,“ Age cannot wither nor custom stale her infinite variety.” . . IR DINSHAW MANOCKJEE PETIT, a Parsee mill-owner, of Bombay. has in twenty years given away a million dollars for various benevolent purposes. Sir Dinshaw is‘not at all parse e-mericus. comicbooks.com