Life, 1889-01-03 · page 5 of 16
Life — January 3, 1889 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page contains several short humorous sketches typical of Life magazine's satirical style. **"The Anarchist's Trunk"** shows a police baggage inspection, likely referencing contemporary anxieties about anarchist threats (common in early 20th-century America). **"A Feast"** depicts a figure offering "chicken burnin'" as food, the humor deriving from class or immigrant dialect humor. **"He Made a Note of It"** features Lord Mac Enoch commenting on New York politics, suggesting political satire about municipal governance or Irish-American political figures (the name suggests Irish heritage). **"A Brother's Privilege"** and **"How It Is Done"** are brief comic exchanges about social customs and urban interactions. The final item about head waiters holding property "in fee" is a legal/property pun. Overall, this represents turn-of-the-century American satirical humor targeting politics, class distinctions, and urban life.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
- LIFE: 5 RES TAURANY THE ANARCHIST’S TRUNK; Or, How THE BAGGAGESMASHER MET HIS MatTcH. A FEAST. 1 “Hi, HELLEN, COME QUICK! THERE'S A CHICKING BURNIN’, AN’ THE SMOKES GOT MIXED WID DER SNOW, AN’ IT TASTES 'ZACTLY LIKE COLD CHICKING SOUP.” HE MADE A NOTE OF IT. Lor MAC ENOCH (who 7s taking in the sights of New York): Haw! What's that gween light down there, Mr. Forundred ? FORUNDRED: Sign of a police station, me Lud. Lorp Mac Enocu: Fawacy! What a power the Iwish are in your politics! A BROTHER'S PRIVILEGE. HOLMONDELEY SMITH: Great Heavens! How did you ever pluck up courage to kiss that haughty Miss De Vere? Tom RapID: She had just said she would be a sister to me. MBULANCE SURGEON (Aas¢- tly stooping over the injured man): What's his name? Crowb: Smith! SURGEON: Where does he live? fj CRowD: Brooklyn! | | HOW IT IS DONE. SURGEON: Wife? CrowD: Yes! SuRGEON: Children? Crowp: Yes, four! ! SURGEON: Well, that’s all I want i; to know. Chuck him into the ambu- lance, and we'll find out what's the } matter with him when we get him to the hospital. HE head waiter holds his prop- erty in fee. comicbooks.com