Life, 1890-04-03 · page 12 of 14
Life — April 3, 1890 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Page 200: Satirical Humor This page contains three separate satirical pieces from Life magazine: **"My Problem"** (top): A poem by Mary G. Heckle humorously complaining about personal finances—making one dollar stretch as far as five. This reflects widespread economic anxiety, likely from the early 20th century. **"Could Measure It"** (middle): A joke about measuring a speech's length. Someone asks how long "Bronson's speech" was; the reply is they didn't have a gas meter to measure it—implying the speech was tedious and interminable. Gas meters measure consumption over time, so this is a pun equating boring speech-length with measurable utility. **"The Rendezvous"** and **"The Very Latest"** (right): Appear to be romantic/social comedy strips about a meeting at a jeweler's shop and observations about time and relationships. The page satirizes common frustrations: financial struggles, tedious public speaking, and romantic punctuality—all relatable concerns for contemporary readers that retain their humor across time.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
MY PROBLEM. > OONER or later in life there comes To each and every one, Some trying problem to be solved, And, ‘tisn't always done. My problem deep, o'er which to solve, In vain I daily strive ; Is—how to make one dollar bill Go just as far as five. Mary G. Heckle, THE RENDEZVOUS. COULD MEASURE IT. “ HOW LONG WAS BRONSON’S SPEECH ?” CHARLES AND ANGELINA ARE TO MEET AT “1 pon'r KNOW, [DIDN'T HAVE MY GAS METER WITH ME." ME DOOR OF SPAR, THE JEWELER, AT SEVEN PRECISELY. ~— Angelina : y See. MAN THE VERY LATEST. Charles: § “WAS THERE EVER A) wouay SCKURBING BRUSHES AND SAUSAGES. WHO KNEW THE WORTH OF TIME?” comicbooks.com a