Life, 1894-08-09 · page 5 of 14
Life — August 9, 1894 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 85 The main illustration depicts two men in Victorian-era dress—one in a top hat confronting another who appears to be drawing a pistol, with a cityscape behind them. The caption reads "Your money or your life!" with dialogue about money being "spent" and "loife" (life) being "in their hands" through life insurance. **The satire:** This is commentary on life insurance as a form of highway robbery. The joke equates purchasing life insurance with surrendering money to a criminal threat—suggesting insurance companies extract payment under duress, offering only the promise of protection (your "life") in return. Below are several short humorous anecdotes mocking various social situations and logical absurdities—typical of Life's satirical format during this era (appears to be late 1800s based on styling).
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIFE!” “BE GOBBS, ALL. THER MONEY ABOUT ME IS SPINT, AN’ ME LOIFE 1S IN THER HANDS OV THER LOIFE INSURANCE, SO SHOOT AWAY, AND GOOD LUCK TO YEZ. THE DOLEFUL MIDSHIPMITE. S' “Sa trim little body, She's as taut and as nobby As the launch or the captain's gig ; And my cap from my noddle I take off as I toddle To the afterport gangway big, Heave-ho ! ‘To hand her on board of the brig. Neath the peak of her bonnet With a rose blush upon it, Her face I can hardly espy ; For my heart goes a-thumping And my eyes mist with something As they do, I will not deny, Heave-ho ! When I see our flag topmost high. When the tips of her fingers Press my sleeve, into flinders Flies my heart, scattering far and wide. To the cabin I steer her, All a-trembling I leave her— She's my jolly commander's bride. Heave-ho ! I think I was born behind tide, T. DLW. Ese ON DIMINUTIVE. $67 HAVE been weading about THE THING IN A NUTSHELL. OY: If those electric light poles should blow over wouldn't they set fire to the houses ? FATHER: They probably would, Boy :. Then why are they put so close ? FATHER: I presume it is because the people who own the poles are not the people who own the houses. HAT a convenience it is, to the country at large, to have governorships wherein Populists can expose their peculiarities before still more serious responsibilites are d to them. Of course it is hard on the States immedi- ly implicated, but they deserve their doom, whatever may come to them, States that need experience ought to have it. THE PREFERABLE METAPHOR. HE: And don’t you concede marriage to be an im- portant step? HE: Oh, more—it’s a serious slip, you know. A SWEET CONSOLER. If Jack Barlow were to propose to me | wouldn't know whether to say “ Yes” or * No.” DITH: Maup: Well, don’t worry, dear, I accepted him last night. stwikes and things,” said Willie Wibbles, “and do you know an idea stwuck my mind!" “An idea of your own?" inquired Miss Cayenne. “To be suah.” “Dear me. I should think it would tickle.” EASILY EXPLAINED. HENDERSON: Why did they turn Skinner out of the church ? WILLIAMSON: He sold the pastor a horse. “KEEPING COMPANY.”