Life, 1890-04-24 · page 7 of 18
Life — April 24, 1890 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of "Pudge" Page from Life Magazine This page from Life's satirical column "Pudge" contains several humor sections mocking social pretension and absurdity: **"High Life in Harlem"** depicts a romantic scene poking fun at aspirational behavior in Harlem's African American community. **"Sage Sayings from Uncle Ezek"** presents folk wisdom through a caricatured elderly figure—likely a minstrel-show stereotype—offering homespun proverbs about hard work and common sense. **"A Trifle Personal"** mocks wealthy businessman Mr. Isacstein for his nose, suggesting it threatens the largest "Trust Company on earth"—satirizing both ethnic stereotyping and monopoly capitalism concerns of the era. **"On Fifth Avenue"** jokes about opera-going pretensions among New York's wealthy. The page reflects early 20th-century satirical humor targeting both immigrant communities and nouveau-riche affectations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
SAMPLE PAGES FROM LIFE’'S ESTEEMED CONTEMPORARIES.—V. ied “What foots thete Mortals be HIGH LIFE IN HARL .—Evelina, wilt thou be mine? E Tue Goat.—But I—- ALPHoxso,—Butt nothing. SAGE SAYINGS FROM UNCLE EZEK. Birps uv a feather flock to- | gether, A rollin’ stone gethers no moss. A stitch in time saves nine. Early tew bed an’ early tew tise, makes a man helthy, welthy an’ wise. There's just as good fish in the sea as ever wuz caught, He lafs best who lafs last. Don’t crow tel you get out of the woods. Don't cry abeout spilt milk. What can't be kewred must be endewred. A TRIFLE PERSONAL. Mr. Isaacstein: Dere is one ting aboud me, mine freund, I attends to my own peezness ; I don't go aboud sticking my nose into oder peeple’s peezeness. Customer.—That's very fortunate, Mr. Isaacstein, because that nose of yours would soon break up the biggest Trust Company on earth. Propasty the reason Cain wasn’t raised was because he couldn't spell a-b-l-c. Lina.—I wilt. 0 pay ten cents HE FORGACHT. CERTAIN young man had And this was the thing that he thacht, If he knew Mr. Beauchamp, He thought he might reauchamp, But that was the thing he forgacht. IN THE DARK Mr. Mapisox Squeer.— I say—er—old chappie—er—how do we know—er—that no one can—er—starve to death in the desert— er—doncherknow? Mr. Unton Squrer.—Wel pic—I really—er—cawn't say—-doncherknow Mr. Mapison Squeer.— Why -- er — old chappie—on account of the—er—sand which is (sandwiches)—er—there, doncherknow. THE SANDWICHES. Mr. Horran Howes,—Say—er—old chap- pic—can you—er—tell me where Moses—er— was when the light went out? Mk. Morton Howes.—No—er—old chap-pie—I really cawn't—er—doncherknow. Where was Moses when the light— er—went out? Mr. Horrman Howes.—Why—er—old chappic—in the dark—er—doncherknow. A LITTLE ONE FoR A ceNT.—The skunk. A —cr—old chap- FIFTH AVENUE. MR. VAN RHINELANDER ASTORBILT.—Are you going totake Fido to the opera with you, dear Mrs. VAN RHINELANDER ASTORHILT.—No, dear; T think we'd better leave him home to play with the children. comicbooks.com