Life, 1894-01-11 · page 13 of 14
Life — January 11, 1894 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces typical of early 20th-century American humor: **"Real Economy"** mocks the Fifth Avenue stage line's cost-cutting. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals found 75 of their horses unfit for work, yet the company only spent $14 per pair—so cheap many should be hospitalized. The satire criticizes both animal cruelty and corporate penny-pinching at animals' expense. **"Those Lovers"** features a couple in a quarrel. When the man visits the woman's house, he hears gossip that their engagement is off due to "fatty degeneration of the sweetheart"—a medical-sounding insult suggesting she's become unattractive. The humor relies on the couple's pride and their willingness to believe insulting rumors. **The bottom cartoon** (caption unclear in OCR) shows Uncle Remus with a donkey cart, using period dialect humor common to the era, though the exact joke is difficult to parse from the damaged text. All three pieces employ satire about social pretense, animal welfare, and romantic vanity.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
REAL ECONOMY. IFE is not surprised to learn that many horses of the Fifth Avenue stage line were recently pronounced to be totally unfit for work by the veterinary surgeons sent to examine the animals in the company’s stables, by President John P. Haines of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, It seems that after a careful examination of the horses found in the stable, the veterinary sur- geons reported that seventy-five were unfit for work, only forty of which were in the hospital. That is a pretty good average for horses that cost the company only fourteen dollars a pair. As far as the public can judge from indications on Fifth Avenue, about ninety-eight per cent. of the animals ought to be in the hospital. THOSE LOVERS. HEY had been engaged, but now were suffering from one of those quarrels which sometimes ruffle the course of true love. They had not spoken for three days, and neither wished to be the first to yield. But with the hankering which afflicts murderers and lovers at the house on a trumped-up business mission to her father. with reference to the scene of the late unpleasantness, he called She: THEY TELL ME THE ENGAGEMENT 18 OFF BETWEEN JimMY GORMAN AND THAT Miss Peach, WHAT WAS THE TROUBLE ? He; I MAVEN'T HEARD THAT ANY REASON WAS GIVEN, BUT IT 15 SURMISED TO HAVE BEEN A CASE OF FATTY DEGENERATION OF THE SWEETHEART, By chance (?) she answered his ring at the door. athering himself, he, with a cold, —— G Uncle Remus: 1 GUESS DAT MEWL DON'T KICK DE DASHBOAHD OUTEN DIS YFAH CART ANY MOAH, RATTLE UP DEM OATS, HONEY, OR WE'SE BE LATE FOH CHUCH. slow voice, begins the following dia- Does Mr. Dudley reside here? He does, Is he in? SHE: He is not. Will he be in soon ? He will. : Thank you; I will call again. (Turns to go.) SHE: Excuse me, who shall I say called ? — you look depressed, Wintie.” “I feel depressed, old man.” “What's the matter? Business or love?” “Business. Alice De Million has just refused me.”