Life, 1888-06-14 · page 1 of 16
Life — June 14, 1888 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Excess of Caution" - Life Magazine, June 14, 1888 This cartoon satirizes railroad safety concerns of the 1880s. A nervous conductor reassures anxious passengers they're running at high speed to cross a rotting bridge ahead "with as little strain as possible"—a logical paradox that exposes the absurdity of railroad management's approach to dangerous infrastructure. The joke targets the era's widespread problems with aging rail lines and inadequate maintenance. Rather than repairing the bridge, the conductor proposes speed as a solution, reflecting real public anxiety about train safety during this period of rapid railroad expansion. The ornate decorative border and "LIFE" masthead indicate this was the magazine's cover or major feature, suggesting railroad safety was a significant contemporary concern for American readers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XI. NEW YORK, JUNE 14, 1888. NUMBER 28s. Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter. Copyright, 1888, by Mrrowmun & Miter, Ten Cents “Cops: * cies’ ory Kit, 7 Ve EXCESS OF CAUTION. Nervous Passenger (on Southern Railroad): CONDUCTOR, WHY ARE WE RUNNING AT SUCH A FRIGHTFUL RATE OF SPEED? Conductor (reassuringly): THERE'S A ROTTEN BRIDGE, MADAM, HALF A MILE AHEAD, AND WE WANT TO GET OVER IT WITH AS LITTLE STRAIN AS POSSIBLE. comicbooks.com