Life, 1894-05-31 · page 7 of 20
Life — May 31, 1894 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Explanation for Modern Readers This page satirizes a dispute involving the Jockey Club—an exclusive organization overseeing horse racing. A man (appears to be someone running an illegal gambling operation or pool room) confronts a uniformed official, claiming he has "as much right" to conduct his business as they do theirs. The satire mocks the man's hypocrisy: he operates dishonest gambling while accusing the Jockey Club of impropriety. The accompanying comics show a dog being trained through progressive steps—a visual metaphor suggesting even "dirty conduct" can be normalized through repetition. The piece critiques how those engaged in shady enterprises rationalize their actions by attacking established institutions, while the Jockey Club maintains standards of "legitimate sport" versus back-room gambling schemes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
> LIFE: 3514 “You have no right to call me a yellow dog. I'm simply fighting for revenge.” “ Yes—fighting the same way a yellow dog would, biting and snarling and snapping at every one in sight, not caring whom you hurt so long as you vent your own cur spite.” “I'm going to get even just the same.” “Don't be too sure of that. The gentlemen of the Jockey Club are not made of the same kind of stuff as sure- thing gamblers, and you've undertaken quite a fight. It looks as though the law was on their side, and certainly public sentiment is going to stand with an organization of reputable gentlemen who are doing their best to maintain the standard of a legitimate sport, rather than with a person like yourself, whose grievance is that he is not permitted to run a pool-room to tempt clerks and office-boys to dis- honesty.” “T've got just as much right to carry on my business as they have thei “ The word ‘ business’ isn’t generally applied to your pur- suits. The term usually employed is not quite so reputable. But then, even second-story thieves have a right to feel aggrieved at any interference with their chosen calling and we don't blame you for feeling sore. But you are guilty of dirty conduct that even a sneak-thief would be ashamed of.” “I don’t care. I’m going to get even.” “Of course you don’t care. But do you know what we'd do if we contained so little sporting-blood as you do?” “What?” “ We'd pull ourselves together, take along run and a jump off the end of the dock. That's LiFE’s advice to you.” So SM VOX POPULI. EW YORKER: I suppose you, too, think Boston is Heaven ? BosTONIAN: Well, no. But I do think Brooklyn is H—Il. IT works. IT HAS WORKED. comicbooks.com