Life, 1890-09-18 · page 10 of 14
Life — September 18, 1890 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 150 This page contains three separate humor pieces typical of early Life magazine's satirical style. **"A Warm Spell"** (top right): A simple comic about a child noting that weather forecasts ("H.O.T. wet") are inaccurate—likely poking fun at the unreliability of meteorological predictions. **"On the Train"** (bottom left): A dialogue between two men where one (Blossom) persistently refuses to close an open window despite repeated requests from the other (Drummer). The joke satirizes stubbornness and social rudeness—a common frustration on public transportation. **Bottom right cartoons**: Two separate gags about food/dining—one involving watermelon and another about portion sizes ("Golly, boss! dat ain't half big nuff!"), likely using period dialect humor. The page reflects early 20th-century American humor focused on everyday social irritations and class observations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A WARM SPELL. Drummer: I would like to see you do it. BLossom (placing his hands on the objectionable window): 1M show you whether I will or not, sir. DRUMMER (as Blossom tugs at win- dow): Why don't you close it ? Buossom (getting red in the face) : It—appears—to be stuck. DRUMMER: Of course, itis. I tried to close it before you came in. Harvey Brown, Jr. MAN committed suicide re- cently in a Western hotel by turning on the gas. Nothing was found in his pocket but a milliner's bill for his wife's new bonnet. She: TWere Goes POUR Miss PRICE WITH HER FIANCE, WHY, THE MAN Is OLD ENOUGH TO RE HER PATHER, AND UGLY ENOUGH TO BE HER BROTHER! He: OW, BUT HE IS rich ENOUGH TO BE HER HUSHAND. ON THE TRAIN. LOSSOM (to Drummer sitting by open window): Excuse me, sir, but that open window is very annoying. Drummer (pleasantly): I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you'll have to grin and bear it. Biossom : I wish you would close it, sir. DRUMMER: Would like to accommodate you, but I can't. Buossom ; Do you refuse to close that window, sir? DrumMer: I certainly do, Biossomt: If you don’t close it 1 will. Drusaer: I'll bet you won't, Buossom : If 1 go over there I will “Say, Samno, DON'T YOU THINK Drummer: I'll give odds you won't. THIS PIECE OF WATERMELON IS RATHER Rrossom; I'll ask you once more, sir, will you close that window ? LARGE?” Drummer: No, sir: 1 will not. “GotLy, Ross! pat AIN'T HALF Riossom (ge/ting on his feet): Then I will, sie. RG NUFI comicbooks.com