Life, 1889-09-26 · page 10 of 16
Life — September 26, 1889 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "A Mathematical Expert" and "Merely a Misunderstanding" **Top cartoon**: A teacher poses an arithmetic problem to students about melting ice. The joke plays on the absurdity of the math: if a man loses 1/4 of 200 pounds of ice, he'd have 150 pounds left—but the "answer" given (3,000 pounds) is nonsensical, satirizing either incompetent teaching or student confusion. **Middle section**: A brief political exchange where a Republican misinterprets a Democrat's statement about postmaster appointments. The satire mocks how politicians deliberately or accidentally misconstrue each other's words—a commentary on political dishonesty or poor communication. **Bottom**: A reference to "Wonders of Science" (how rainbows are made), though the illustration is partially unclear. All pieces are gentle satires on education, politics, and public discourse.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
~ Wattorasn: A MATHEMATICAL EXPERT. Teacher: (Ff A MAN HAS TWO HUNDRED POUNDS OF ICE IN HIS. WAGON AND ONE-FOURTH OF IT 1S LOST BY MELTING, HOW MANY POUNDS DO HIS CUSTOMERS PAY FOR? Boy (whose father ts in the business): Pouns, THREE THOUSAND THE LOVER'S LAMENT. HE Sun shines as gladly As ever, but sadly. My Pegasus falters, that cantered so free ; For the sweet Summer passes And all the fair lasses Are flitting away from the hills and the sea. The Autumn winds whistle, And the down of a thistle Like the ghost of a snowflake slants swift thro’ the air ; Ang Love packs his quiver With a sigh and a shiver, And hastes some conventional garments to wear, MERELY A MISUNDERSTANDING. EPUBLICAN: I am gratified to hear you admit that Mr. Harrison appoints only first-class men as post- masters. DemocrAT: You misunderstood me, my friend; what I said was that he appoints only first-class postmasters, OBLEY: There goes a man who lives higher than some of our most noted millionaires. Wicctns: Who is he? Bostey: Janitor of a fourteen-story office building. THE WONDERS OF SCIENCE. How Ratnsows are Mave. comicbooks.com