Life, 1895-05-23 · page 9 of 18
Life — May 23, 1895 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Page 339: Social Commentary Cartoons This page from *Life* magazine contains three satirical pieces mocking early 20th-century social behavior: 1. **Two portraits of "Chauncey Mitchell Depew"** — a historical figure (railroad executive and politician) shown at different ages, illustrating vanity or the passage of time. 2. **"Golf on Sunday"** — A lengthy editorial cartoon critiquing the controversy over playing golf on the Sabbath. The piece argues that while some religious leaders opposed Sunday golf, the practice doesn't genuinely harm religion and should be permitted as a reasonable leisure activity for retired persons. 3. **Three brief humorous dialogues** addressing commercial transactions, social pretense, and marriage prospects — typical satirical vignettes mocking middle-class manners and assumptions of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
CHAUNCEY MITCHELL FROM A PORTRAIT IN OILS PAINTED WHEN CHAUNCEY MITCHELL DEPEW. FROM AN INSTANTANEOUS VIEW TAKEN LAST APRIL, GOLF ON SUNDAY. HE recent arrest of several members of the Meadow- brook Hunt Club for playing golf on Sunday was probably very irri- tating to the gentlemen concerned, and it seems doubtful whether the cause of religion was sufficiently advanced thereby to justify the action taken. The laws and cus- toms which regulate the observance of “the Sabbath” in New York and other States were made before cither golf or bicycles were domes- ticated in thiscountry. They seem to permit bicycles to roll on Sun- day wherever their riders will, but, as at present interpreted, they make golf-playing unlawful. Golf is such a quiet game, and interferes so little with the peacefulness of any day or any community that it would appear seemly for our legisla- tors to admit it, under proper conditions, to the privileges enjoyed by bicycling as a Sabbath day sport. Provided a golf link is ina reasonably retired place it does no harm that LIFE can see to drive balls over it of a Sunday. Such interference with golfers as took place the other day on Long Island is much more apt to be prompted by a spirit of malicious mischief than by any sincere desire to preserve Sunday as a day of rest. Provided golfers do not scandalize their church-going neighbors, and do not play — say, within a mile of a church, it seems very doubtful public policy to interfere with them. A COMMERCIAL TRANSACTION. ae Cs anybody in the crowd change a hundred-dollar bill?” “Tecan.” “ Very well. Give me the change and I'll go out and see if | can borrow a hundred-dollar bill.” COMPARATIVE ANTIQUITY. RS. CASHMAN has ceased to notice Mrs. Jones- Brown. Do you know why ?” “Tt is because her son-in-law’s family is so very much older than the family of Mrs. Jones-Brown’s son-in-law.” IN 1915. } AUDE: I really believe Cholly is going to get mar- ried. EsTER: MAUDE: What makes you think so? I hear he has joined a cooking school.