Life, 1893-08-17 · page 13 of 20
Life — August 17, 1893 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several unrelated humorous sketches typical of *Life* magazine's format: **"Its Champion Found"**: A political joke where Democrats are credited with various reform initiatives, and the Republican Party is sarcastically urged to adopt "Funeral Reform"—suggesting they're politically dead. **German Farmer Anecdote**: A lawyer sympathizes with a German farmer over his wife's death, only to learn he's remarried within three weeks. The farmer's deadpan response ("she is dead as she ever will be") is the joke—implying his new wife is equally lifeless/unpleasant, mocking hasty remarriage and marital unhappiness. **Robin Hood**: The outlaw gang discusses forming a "stock company" to let "the public in on the ground floor"—satirizing the era's corporate financial schemes and stock market manipulation. **"Wasted Sympathy"**: A woman rejects a man's proposal, revealing she was the subject of a bet. The man won cigars by correctly predicting she'd refuse the first suitor—mocking both courtship customs and men's frivolous wagering over women. All employ period-typical humor about politics, marriage, and social climbing.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
SPORTING TERMS. ITS CHAMPION FOUND. “THE Democrats have Tariff Reform, Civil Service Reform and Pension Reform. What ought the Republican party take up at this juncture ?” “Well, it might appropriately go in for Funeral Reform, you know.” LAWYER of L. had among his clients a Ger- man farmer, a hard-working, plain, blunt man. Hearing that he had lost his wife, the lawyer sought him out to express his sympathy. To his amazement the German replied, “ But Iam married again.” “Is it possible, and only three since you buried your “Dat is so, mine friend, but she is dead as she ever will be.” OBIN HOOD: What luck to-day, my bold rovers ? LITTLE JOHN: Nota belated traveler has crossed our path, Never saw such stagnation, Ropin Hoop: We will have to form ourselves into a stock company and let the public in on the ground floor. “Vv HAT do nautical people mean by ‘tacking, said one girl to another. WASTED SYMPATHY. “Don't you know that ?” 5 ‘AND THAT IS YOUR ANSWER. Not exactly: , “Tp 13, BuT I HOPE MY REFUSAL WILL NOT CAUSE YOU UNHAPPINESS, MR. PERKINS.” Why, tacking —er—tacking “No, INDEED. SMITH SAID YOU'D SNAP UP THE FIRST MAN THAT OFFERED HIMSELF, AND is sailing on the bias.” I BET HIM YOU WOULDN'T, I'M IN A BOX OF CIGARS.”