Life, 1890-05-15 · page 3 of 18
Life — May 15, 1890 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page (Volume XV, Number 385) This page contains three separate humor items: **Top illustration**: A social scene depicting what appears to be an upper-class gathering or party, with the caption suggesting an Englishman arriving and being upset about something. The joke hinges on British social etiquette and misunderstanding. **"Outrageous Contempt"**: A dialogue between an Eastern Kentucky Justice of the Peace and an attendant, concerning a five-dollar fine for contempt of court involving a mule ("Colt"). The humor derives from rural/frontier justice system incompetence and the absurdity of fining an animal. **"His Profession"**: A brief exchange about a tramp's refusal to work unless allowed to eat first, identifying himself as an "after-dinner speaker"—mocking both vagrants and professional speakers as equally useless. All three rely on class-based humor common to early 20th-century satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XV. NUMBER 385. She: THeRe's THAT ENGLISHMAN COMING; HE SEEMS UPSET ABOUT SOMETHING. He (from the ranche): VERY LIKELY; 1 JUST TOLD HIM-A FUNNY STORY, AND SAID 1 WOULD CALL AGAIN TO-MORROW TO HEAK WM LAUGH OVER IT. OUTRAGEOUS CONTEMPT. EASTERN KETUCKY JUSTICE OF THE PEACE I fine you five dollars for contempt 0’ Coht, sah. ATTENDANT: On what grounds, your honor? JUSTICE OF THE PEACE: You took the constable out jes a while ago and treated him, an’ never said a word to the Coht. HIS PROFESSION. S*TF you'll go to work, I'll give you something to eat,” said the kind-hearted woman. “I can’t follow my profession unless you do.” returned the tramp, “for | am an after-dinner speaker.” THE “$10,000 BEAUTY” is a“ skin deep.” comicbooks.com