Life, 1894-02-22 · page 1 of 16
Life — February 22, 1894 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "A Fair Arrangement" - Life Magazine, February 22, 1894 This cartoon depicts two men in conversation, with the caption presenting a humorous negotiation about money and romance. One man claims he promised to take his girlfriend to the opera but is broke ("dead broke"). The other proposes a wager: if the first man has twenty dollars, they'll bet on whether he takes the girl to the opera or keeps the money. The satire mocks the financial struggles of working-class men in the 1890s and the tension between romantic obligations and economic necessity. It's a lighthearted commentary on how poverty forces men to choose between courtship expenses and personal finances—a relatable dilemma for Life's middle-class readership during this economically uncertain period.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XXIII. NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 22, 1894. NUMBER 582. Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter, Copyright, 1894, by Mrrcumit & Miter, A FAIR ARRANGEMENT. “Say, FATTY, HAVE YOU GOT TWENTY DOLLARS? I PROMISED TO TAKE MY GIRL TO THE OPERA, AND I AM DEAD BROKE,” “THaT’s SINGULAR. Now I HAVE TWENTY AND NO GIRL. I'LL MATCH YOU TO SEE WHETHER YOU TAKE THE TWENTY OR I TAKE THE GIRL TO THE OPERA.” comicbooks.com