Life, 1894-08-16 · page 10 of 16
Life — August 16, 1894 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 106 This page contains an obituary titled "In Memoriam" for someone named Chiko, described as "an African of lofty lineage." The text satirizes Chiko's unsuccessful attempts at New York high society—he never secured club memberships, wore proper attire, or cultivated social pretenses despite his distinguished ancestry. The skeleton illustration accompanying the obituary is a memento mori device emphasizing death. The accompanying cartoon (bottom right) depicts what appears to be a biblical or moral scene with dialogue about a Bible and money, likely contrasting spiritual and material values. The page's satire targets both Chiko's social pretensions and perhaps broader attitudes about race and class in Gilded Age America. The "En Route from Buffalo" heading suggests travel or movement, though its specific reference remains unclear without additional context.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
IN MEMORIAM. A obituary is at best a cold tribute. It is coining tears and sorrow into words, and therefore seems unfitted to the columns of so purely a utilitarian journal as LIFE. But there has lately passed from among us a foreigner of such distinction that even we must bend the knee in \ sorrow and let our rhetoric flow. Chiko, whose latest por- trait we here present, was an African of lofty lineage. In his veins flowed the purest ape blood, uncon- taminated by any inter- marriage that should bring him or bis ancestors within the range of Mr. Darwin's treatise, “The Descent of Man.” Chiko’s family was a proud one, and declined all the alleged advantages of evolu- tion. They preferred to re- main as they were, even if they had to do without divorce, poor- houses, politics, policemen and the other blessings which accrue to %& humanity and civilization. “Chiko is dead.” When these words came flashing over the wires a nation mourned. Chiko was unique, and no other foreigner who has ever visited these shores has achieved his distinction. In the first place he made no effort to gain the entrée to American society. He brought no letters of introduction, and although many an American heiress and -fashionable woman sought his notice, he regarded them all with an indifference as ROUTF. FROM BUFFALO, remarkable in a foreigner as it was creditable. There is no doubt that he was fit in most ways to become a shining light among New York's 400, but it can never be said of him that he was ever seen in thé window of a New York club, nor did he ever make the slightest effort to secure an invitation to a Patriarchs’ Ball. He never wore a monocle, never turned up the bottoms of his trowsers, never assumed any other affectation that could mark him as a_ social aspirant. He never talked about his taste in wines, nor pretended to any special ability with a chafing dish. He never attended a horse show nor evinced an anglomaniacal desire to ride to hounds. Especially is it to his credit that he never permitted the New York newspapers to print his name as an ad nauseam attendant at social entertainments. He never talked poli nor religion and never permitted himself to be interviewed by a reporter. On the most sultry days he refrained from inquiring if it was hot enough for any one, and never made an after-dinner speech. To be sure, these were negative virtues, but they made Chiko shine by contrast with the descendants of his ancestors. Although Chiko had sojourned some time in this country there is no evidence that he intended to write a book holding us up to the ridicule of his readers. Tammany Hall would “Wiy, Tom, THEY AIN'T NOTHINK IN HIS POCKETS BUT A BIBLE AN’ A QUARTER OF A DOLLAR!" “ PUT THE BIBLE BACK, JIM, PUT IT BAC KEEP, BUT DO NOT LET US SINK So LOW NOOK Is SACRED!" THE MONEY WE KIN $ TO FORGIT THAT THE comicbooks.com