Life, 1897-06-24 · page 2 of 21
Life — June 24, 1897 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page is primarily **advertising and promotional content**, not political satire. It features an endorsement of the Northern Steamship Company's Great Lakes cruise service, purportedly written by President McKinley (whose signature appears on the page). The piece describes a scenic 2,000-mile round trip from Buffalo to Duluth aboard the steamship, highlighting luxurious accommodations and natural beauty. The large illustration shows the vessel, a grand passenger ship typical of the era. This represents **early 20th-century promotional journalism** where celebrity endorsements—in this case, from a sitting U.S. President—were used to market tourist experiences. The emphasis on the ship as a "floating palace" reflects the era's pride in industrial achievement and leisure travel.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“IN ALL THE WORLD NO TRIP LIKE THIS.” O tour the Great Lakes and their connecting rivers would, under any circumstances, be a journey full of charm and interest; but to make the round trip from Buffalo to Duluth by the magnifi- cent steamships of the Northern Steam- ship Company is to experience the most delightful 2,000 miles of travel it is pos- sible to take. Starting from Buffalo at 9.30 P.M. on any Tuesday or Friday during the summer season, the route is through Lake Erie, touching at Cleveland early the next morning, and at Detroit that afternoon, passing through the “straits,” the beautiful Lake St. Clair, and the St. Clair River by daylight, then into Lake Huron and through that great inland sea, reaching historic Mackinac Island at 10.30 the second morning, thence up the extremely pic- turesque St. Mary's River, dotted with full 5,000 islands, and passing through the ‘*Soo” and its world-famed locks, all by daylight. The follow- ing night and day are spent on the vast expanse and in the invigorating atmosphere of Lake Superior, Duluth coming into sight as the evening shadows fall. After three-quarters of a day in the Zenith City the return trip is made in the reverse order, so that the entire route is seen, going or coming, by daylight, and Buffalo reached at noon of the seventh day. “*Seven halcyon days of blessed rest,"” worth a month's ordinary vacation tothe weary brain and tired body. While to this unequaled cruise for rest and health and pure enjoyment Nature has con- tributed so much that is grand and beautiful, nineteenth-century progress, as evidenced in the flourishing cities, summer resorts, and the immense commerce of the Lakes, has added that requisite so necessary to interest one and so noticeably lacking in a mere ocean voyage. But it remained for the Northern Steamship Company to bring all within the experience of the tourist by a flect of steamships which are tothe Great Lakes what the finest hotels are to the most celebrated summer resorts. The North Land and The North West are, indeed, nothing less (and at the same time a great deal more) than great summer hotels afloat. Banish from your mind at once any idea of the “‘cabined, cribbed, confined quarters of the ordinary steamship, and replace it with the picture of private parlors en suite with bath, brass bedsteads, couches, easy- chairs, electric lights, etc., with state-rooms finished in Cuban mahogany. No freight is carried. Every precaution and every appliance known to marine architecture of the very latest type for the safety and the convenience of the passengers are provided. The cuisine is equal in every respect to that of the finest hotels, while the appetizing air gives a zest to the enjoyment of the meals peculiar to this ozone-ladened atmosphere. The price of the round-trip ticket from Buffalo to Duluth and return is $29, less than one-and-a-half cents per mile. The price of berths, state-rooms, and suites of rooms varies, according to the location, capacity, and ele- ance, from $9 round trip. Meals are served 2 /a carte, so that their cost can be regulated [seaman.] President McKinley WROTE A FRIEND to Duluth on the a more enjoyable vacation. and the vessel a veritable ‘Northwest,’ Last summer I took a trip from Cleveland and never did I have The scenery is superb floating palace. ...'' by the passenger. The menu prices are mod- erate, and, liberal portions being served, two or more persons traveling together can mate- rially reduce the cost of each. Passengers wishing to make longer stops at Cleveland, Detroit, Mackinac Island, Sault Ste. Marie, or Duluth than is made by the steam- ship can obtain stop-over checks good for the entire season. Connections are made at Duluth with the Great Northern Railroad, Northern Pacific Railroad and diverging roads, for all points farther west to Yellowstone Park, Great Falls, Helena, Butte, Pacific Coast cities and Pacific Steamship lines. Further particulars will be furnished by ad- dressing I, M. BORTLE, Gen. Pass. Agent, Northern S. S. Co., Buffalo, N. Y. W. C. FARRINGTON, Vice-President. COPYmaNT FOR GREAT BRIT! FY JAMES HENOEROON Or any railroad ticket agent, or the following agents of the Northern S. S. Co.: Boston, Mass., 211 Washington St., W. A. Seward, a te Chiesa, HE: 220 South Clark St., W. M. Lowrie, Geni Agt, Pass, Dep' Clogtanatl, O., Fifth ae “Walnut Sts. , W. J. Byrth, Ciexeiand, 18: a59 Superior St., D. J. Collver, Ticket ch., foot ast St. E. B. Cla Duluth? Minn:, 3s West Superior S Northern Pass. Agt. Mingeapolis, Ming..ye0 Nicollet Ave., V. D. Jones, City Pass. and Ticket Agt. Monireal, Sas “aa Notre Dame St, W. G. ream, La New. York, N Broadway, E. D. Spencer, Gen'l Agt, wea Be Philadelphia, Pa.s 43 South Thitd St., A. C. Harvey, Pittsberg. Da, co sth Ave., Delano Luce, Pass, Agt ittsburg, Pa., qos st ve., Delano ice, Se ous Mts.1°335 Olive’Sts, We J. Evans, Gew'i St. PEM, Minn., 1%, E. Third St., W. J. Dutch, City "Pass. and Ticket A Torgath, Ont aa King St., East, H. G. McMicken, Gen"! yen'l Agt. Harper,