Life, 1896-12-05 · page 12 of 34
Life — December 5, 1896 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Satire Page This is a satirical piece titled "An Unwritten Page of History," imagining a newspaper reporter interviewing Governor John Carver as the Mayflower arrives at Plymouth. The humor derives from anachronistic absurdities: **The Satire:** The Pilgrims are depicted discussing modern 1890s concerns—bicycle roads, smoke nuisance, Yale football betting, Mayflower "relics" being manufactured for profit, and the A.P.A. (American Protective Association). Governor Carver uses a fountain pen and field glasses; there's casual mention of customs inspectors and the Fall River Line steamboats. **The Point:** By transplanting late-19th-century American commercialism, journalism, and social anxieties onto the 1620 landing, the piece mocks both contemporary American culture and romanticized historical narratives. The reporter's eager sensationalism and focus on gossip satirizes yellow journalism of the era. **The Bottom Illustration:** A separate joke about Santa's stockings references consumer excess during the emerging Christmas commercialization period. The author is John G. Morse.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
AN UNWRITTEN PAGE OF HISTORY. L S the Indian pilot climbed up the rope ladder on the side of the Afayflower when that vessel finished her first voyage across the Atlantic, he was closely followed by a reporter of the Massachusetts Daily Pow Wow, who had outstripped his fellows and gained passage in the canoe of the pilot service. The passengers, who were eagerly betting on which leg would be thrown over the rail first, found they had two chances, and much money changed hands on the result, The reporter paid little attention to this eager throng, though mentally taking notes of the details for an extra column, but went directly to the newly clected Governor, John Carver, to secure an interview for the evening edition. He found this worthy man seated on his dress- suit case, that stood on end, and eagerly scanning through a pair of field glasses the land that was to be his future home. “What are your first impressions of America?” asked the reporte he shook two or three drops of ink from his fountain pen and prepared to write. ** Well, this is rather early for that question,” said the TOO DREADFUL TO THINK OF. “1 SAY, TOMMY, IF EVERY ONE OF US WORE STOCKIN'S AS BIG AS THEM, SANTA CLAUS WOULDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TOYS TO GO ROUND.” Governor, ‘seeing that I have not yet landed; but I should say, from the view obtained through these glasses, that you are not greatly troubled with the smoke nuisance, and that the bicycle roads appear very poor.” After this little exchange of pleasantries the reporter settled down to business. % ‘*Do I understand that you and your followers are on a strike with the Church of England, or that it is a case of lockout with the latter?” “Neither,” replied the Governor. ‘We are simply dis- satisfied with things in general in the old country, and have come over, hoping to establish a nucleus of the A. P. A.” “‘T have been told that you intend naming the town you are to settle after one of the boats of the Fall River Line. Am I informed correctly?" “No, sir. I wish to deny that emphatically. Not only is the proposed town named without reference to one of those boats, but none of the names connected with our party, either individually or as a whole, is taken from that source. It is merely a coincidence, nothing more he rumor has been afloat here that the Mayflower is so loaded down with hall clocks, spinning wheels and straight-backed chairs to be handed down to posterity, that there has been no room between decks for the passengers. ngly replied the Governor, as he lighted a fresh cigar, ‘*that is a mistaken notion, We have very little furniture with us, and ample room for members of the party. 1 might say, how- ever—though remember this is not for publication— that we have a full set of patterns for all Mayflower relics, and a syndicate has been formed to begin their manufacture as soon as possible after landing.” “What do you think of Yale’s chances at football next year?” ‘Don't talk to me about football. I'm never going to bet on Yale again. That crafty John Alden has been backing the right team every time. He has struck me pretty heavily, and I wouldn't dare to say how much he has won out of Miles Standish,” The reporter would have asked more, but the skillful pilot had brought the M/ayflower within easy landing distance of the Rock, and the Governor begged to be excused that he might get his luggage ready for the customs inspectors. John G. Morse. comicbooks.com