Life, 1896-05-14 · page 3 of 20
Life — May 14, 1896 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis The page contains two distinct items: **Upper section**: A dramatic illustration showing what appears to be a séance or spiritualist gathering, with figures around a table in dim lighting. This likely satirizes the popular spiritualist movement of the early 20th century, mocking people's belief in communicating with the dead through mediums—a widespread phenomenon that attracted both genuine believers and charlatans. **Lower section**: "A Desirable Contingency" discusses appropriating $50,000 for a statue of General Butler in Boston. The accompanying cartoon shows three figures emerging from clouds labeled "Three of a Kind Beat Two Pair"—a poker reference suggesting the proposal involves corrupt backroom dealing among politicians. The satire critiques what Life viewed as wasteful public spending and political corruption in Massachusetts.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XXVII. : NUMBER 698. ENTERPRISE. PEN the graveyards And gather them in; Plenty of subjects here — Tall, short and thin. Get a new street-car line, Cable or trolley, With observation hearse — Oh! it's so jolly. Have patent sewer-gas, Explosive mains ; Get electricity Into your veins. Raise up a “ fire-proof” (Put on the label) Sky-scraping building To burn like a stable. Get a new railroad At ten times its cost; Graveyards adjacent Each highway crossed. Set up a tombstone Over cach hearth. Make a sublime grave- Yard of the earth; Shovel them in with Plenty of grit. Then build a flying-ma- Chine and try it. Frederick McCormack, ERE and there is a man who believes that God was created in his own image. A DESIRABLE CONTINGENCY. HE proposition to appropriate $50,000 for a statue of General Butler, in Boston, has been considered by the present Legisla- ture of Massachusetts, and referred to the next Legislature for action. A suitable effigy of General Ben on horseback, over against the hallowed Bulfinch front of the Boston State- house, might be the means of adding many valuablecit- izens of the Bay State tothe population of New York. Lire has selfish reasons for hoping “JACK, YOU USED TO BE SO ENTERTAINING AND BRILLIANT BEFORE WE that the WERE MARRIED.” project may “'Ya-as, I SUPPOSE I WAS; BUT YOU SEE I MAD TO RIVAL A LOT OF FEL- pot fall LOWS WHO. WERE ALWAYS HANGING ABOUT.” through al- “WELL, I THINK I'LL ENTICE THOSE FELLOWS BACK; THEY'LL BE GLAD ENOUGH TO COME.” together, ‘THREE OF A KIND BEAT TWO PAIR.” | comicbooks.com