Life, 1894-10-18 · page 9 of 16
Life — October 18, 1894 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 251 This page features a Sherlock Holmes parody titled "He Goes Alone." The text presents Holmes deducing someone's movements and activities through observation—a signature Holmes trope—but the narrator finds this "contemptible trick" infuriating rather than impressive. Holmes claims to have determined the person's itinerary based on their clothing and appearance, demonstrating his famous deductive method. The accompanying illustrations (by an artist whose signature appears present) show comical physical pratfalls—figures tumbling and falling in exaggerated positions. These visual gags likely satirize Holmes's overly confident deductions by suggesting that reality is messier and more chaotic than his logical framework allows. The joke appears to mock detective fiction's reliance on improbable reasoning, contrasting Holmes's intellectual pretensions with actual human unpredictability.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VRE: 254 came to the club to luncheon and then went to your mana- ger's office, where you were interviewed by a dozen news- Paper reporters.” This had been exactly the programme of the day; and, accustomed as I was to Sherlock Holmes's miraculous power of drawing conclusions where apparently no premises exist, 1 was startled more than I care to admit. “Tell me,” Iblurted, * by what course of reasoning you have acquired these facts.” “What have I told you,” asked Holmes somewhat im- patiently, “about deduction and analysis.” “But you have had no data to goon,” I protested. “1 am not even wearing the clothing I had on this morning.” “When I tell you how I became aware of your movements to-day,” observed my friend with a laugh, “you will be astounded at your stupidity. Just think over what means there are of reaching the conclusion I have arrived at. Remember what I have told you before—that, when every possible theory is proved false, the impossible one, if it is the only one remaining, is the right one.” After fruitlessly racking my brains until it was too late to keep my dinner engagement I said: “Since you tell me that you have had no conversation about my itinerary with anyone since your arrival in town an hour ago I confess that I can find no possible explanation for your knowledge of my movements during the day. For Heaven's sake do not keep me in suspense any longer. Tell me by what course of deduction and analysis you have drawn so accurate conclusions in this instance.” “1 read it all in the afternoon papers,” said Sherlock Holmes, yawning. This contemptible trick I can never forgive. Sherlock Holmes is again dead to me. Frank Marshall White. HE GOES ALONE. AVE you seen any change in Waters since he signed the pledge ?” “Oh, yes; he has quit inviting meto go fishing with him.” oc