Life, 1890-05-22 · page 12 of 18
Life — May 22, 1890 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Page 302 - Satirical Content This page contains multiple humorous sketches satirizing early 20th-century American life: **"The Trouble is Spreading"** depicts a labor strike reaching even the gods—the Cyclops (mythological workers who forge Jupiter's thunderbolts) demand an eight-hour workday, leaving Jupiter unable to fulfill weather orders. This mocks contemporary labor strikes and worker organizing movements as spreading beyond reasonable bounds. **"Where It Was"** jokes about Chicago's poverty and homelessness—a child asks where the shoe from the nursery rhyme actually was, and the mother grimly replies "Chicago," implying homelessness was endemic there. **"Tips"** satirizes the widespread custom of tipping waiters, cooks, and porters as an exploitative system where workers depend on bribes rather than wages—a genuine complaint about American service-industry practices. Other sketches mock theatrical censorship ("Water Was There, Too") and immigrant accents and materialism ("A Promising Youth"). The overall theme: contemporary social problems presented as absurd comedies.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE TROUBLE IS SPREADING. UPITER (over the Olym- J pian telephone): Hello, General Greely ! GEN. GREELY: Hello! JUPITER: I am very sorry, but I must cancel your last order for thunderstorms, GEN, GREELY: What is the matter? Jupir The Cyclops have gone on strike for an eight hour day, and I'm run- ning short of thunderbolts, WHERE IT WAS. OTHER (reading nursery rhyme) There was an old woman who lived in a shoe. She had— ALICE: But where was the shoe, mama? MOTHER: In Chicago, dear. Back-number Mullix (awakening suddenly): W¥A1, PRIEND; NOW YOU'VE CLEANED OUT Att TH’ COLD GRUB IN THAT TOMATTUS-CAN, PHAPS YOU'D LIKE A PULL AT TITS, HE question of the day —What's the score ? TIPS. \ Trouen you and I have plighted faith, sf To wed me you've consented, f Though all my rivals envy me, Alas! I'm not contented. Your lips are curved like Cupid's bow, Pink like a rose leaf fair; ‘They yield their sweets—if I have brought A costly bonboniére. I fee the waiter, fee the cook, The bell-boy, . and porter, I meekly strew my daily path With bill and dime and quarter. But when [ cannot take your hand, Or even touch your lips Without a bribe, I too rebel, And say, ‘Abolish tips. WATER WAS THERE, TOO. IND: Hello, Fire, I hear you went to the theatre last night? Fire: Yes; but they put me out. A PROMISING YOUTH. O old Skinem is dead ? Father: Vat FOR YOU GET SOOCH A BIG HAT? “Yes, I fear he has gone to that country from whose burn no Son: Why, Fapper, YoU ALWAYS TOLT ME To GET traveler returns, DER MOST FOR MY MONEY. comicbooks.com