Life, 1889-03-14 · page 14 of 20
Life — March 14, 1889 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two separate satirical pieces mocking urban pretension and incompetence. **Top cartoon**: Shows a hobo mistakenly climbing into a wealthy man's travel hamper, thinking it's transportation to Philadelphia ("Quaker City"). The joke turns on class confusion—the hobo's dialect ("'R jumpin'") contrasts with the upper-class luggage he's entered. **Bottom cartoon & text**: Satirizes "Chauncey Blankington," a wealthy idler who avoids civic duty (escaping Grand Jury service via servants' door), never reads mail to avoid obligations, and rents his home rooms except the bathroom. The accompanying story mocks his lifestyle of leisure and a dubious investment scheme in "Snake River Valley lands"—likely referencing real speculative ventures that defrauded investors. **Bottom cartoon**: Shows a traveler arriving at "Red Dog" (a rough mining camp) requesting an ambulance to reach a bakery—absurdly fancy language in a frontier setting, mocking pretension. The satire targets wealthy idleness, investment fraud, and class-based avoidance of responsibility.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
-LIFE- A DISTRESSING MISTAKE. “WHAT'S DE MATTER WID ME 'R JUMPIN’ IN DIS HAMPER AND TAKING A FREE RIDE TER DE Quaker City,” came down to his office in the morning he found that he had been drawn on the Grand Jury. He served six days, at two dollars per day. His uncle called on him, a few days ago, at the club. Chauncey was still “ out.” His uncle sat down to wait for him; but it came out all right in the end, for Chauncey went out by way of the servants’ door, and drove up in a han- som, fifteen minutes later. The door-keeper will lose his position if it happens again, Mr. Blankington has his mannerisms. He never goes to his letter-box; he might get a letter, and that would put him to the trouble of answering. He is also very careful about his lodgings. He likes to see a large concourse of people—likes to be among them. My friend Wagley says that in Blankington’s house every room is rented except the bath-room, I saw a prospectus of the Snake River Val- ley lands recently, Magniticent territory, full of undeveloped resources ; all it needs is time and a good man on the New York end. Every day is Sunday with Chauncey just now; by and by, when our mine begins to yield, every day will be hey-day. John James Meehan. THE TAG ON T RUNK THAT BELONGS ON THE HAMPE! FORGOT TO LOCK THE HAMPER. WELL, IT'S ALL RIGHT THE ARRIVAL AT RED DOG. The Trav (in @ hoarse whisper): EXCUSE ME, GENTS, BUT WILL YER PLEASE RING FER A NAMBULANCE TER CARRY ME TO 'R BAKERY. comicbooks.com