Life, 1894-09-06 · page 1 of 16
Life — September 6, 1894 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine, September 6, 1894 **"An Obliging Stranger"** The cartoon depicts a well-dressed gentleman in a top hat on horseback, holding the animal steady while a train passes. The caption reads: "Hold your horse till the train passes? Certainly. My name's Standow." This appears to be a visual pun playing on the name "Standow" (likely a reference to a contemporary figure, though unclear which one). The joke relies on the wordplay between "stand" and "standby"—the stranger is literally standing by, holding the horse steady while the train passes, making an obliging gesture that puns on his own name. The ornate decorative border on the left is typical of Life's design aesthetic from this era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XXIV. NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 6, 1894. NUMBER Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter. Copyright, 1894, by Mircwent & Mitten, Tene tee Sa Sets TRS HWY oe AN OBLIGING STRANGER. “HOLD YOUR HORSE TILL THE TRAIN passes? CERTAINLY. My NAME'S STaNpow,”