Life, 1892-07-21 · page 12 of 16
Life — July 21, 1892 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Page Analysis This page satirizes American journalism's exaggeration and dishonesty. The opening poem mocks people who blindly accept others' opinions as wisdom. The main article critiques New York newspaper reporters covering a Christian Endeavor convention (a young Christian organization's gathering). The reporters dramatically idealized the mostly rural young women attendees, describing them with flattering adjectives ("fresh complexioned," "rosy cheeked") when Life claims they actually appeared "pasty-faced and be-spectacled." Life argues journalists prioritized sensational, falsified descriptions over accuracy. Below are lighter humor pieces: a joke about overeating on an excursion, and anecdotes about wealthy sportsmen (Pelham Parker, Reggy Westend, Jay Gould) and their absurd behavior. The overall theme criticizes press dishonesty while poking fun at society figures.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
40 “MOST LEARNED JUDGE.” E make no claim to being wise, Yet, oh! what noble wisdom lies In him who sees as with our eyes ! We are not wise—we all this see— Yet, oh! what inborn fools they be Who with our judgment disagree ! Tt American newspaper re- } Porter possesses a power of idealization sufficient to make the late Ananias, and the author of the “ Arabian Nights,” go around into some back street and kick them- selves if they had lived to come into com- petition with modern — jour- nalism. The New York dailies printed columns of description of the recent Christian Endeavor convention, The convention was made up largely of young women from the country, and not once were these young women alluded to by the reporters Hi | i | h hil H i THE EXCURSION. Fred (his first outing): ToM, WHAT DO YOU SUPFO3E THAT LIFE PERSERVER IS LEFT THERE FOR ? Tom (an old timer with a tremendous appetite): 1 DUNNO, UNLESS IT'S FOR A FELLER TO PUT ON WHEN THEY HANDS AROUN’ THE LUNCH TO KEEP HIM FROM BUSTIN’. “COME TO DINNER WITH ME, FRED “WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO HA AILS AU GRATIN, FILET OF SoarstONE, CACTUS J SAUCE, DOOR-KNORS A LA ESPAGNOL, AND A CARDOY OF THE NICEST VITRIOL YOU EVER TASTED.” without the adjunct “ fresh complexioned,” “ rosy cheeked,” or “bright-eyed.” The fact is that New York probably never contained within its walls at one time so many thousands of pasty-faced and be-spectacled females, LiFe isn’t prepared to state whether this is the result of Christian Endeavor or of the average country diet and mode of life. It is prepared to maintain, though, that the Christian Endeavor convention gave the New York reporters greater opportunity for columns of picturesque lying than they have had for some time. A THOROUGH SPORT. ELHAM PARKER: Charlie Meadowbrooke’s horse ran away with him at the last hunt, and he rode down the hounds and finally overtook and passed the fox. REGGY WESTEND : Couldn't he stop ? P PELHAM PARKER: That's what the whipper-in asked him, but Charlie said he couldn't think of stopping when he was ahead of the game. AY GOULD is a very patient man. When he thinks a stock is getting too high to suit him he just grins and bears it. comicbooks.com