Life, 1898-02-17 · page 3 of 20
Life — February 17, 1898 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of "Life" Magazine Page 123 This page satirizes American expansionism during the Klondike Gold Rush era (late 1890s). The illustration shows three anthropomorphized animals—likely representing different nations or interests—heading toward the Klondike goldfields in Canada's Yukon Territory. The poem "America" celebrates American ambition and resources ("land of the mighty bass," "dollar bills," "eagle"). "Bound for Klondike" appears to mock the gold rush frenzy, with the animals dressed as prospectors carrying supplies, suggesting the chaotic scramble of fortune-seekers. The verse "It is a bird? Likewise fruit—peach!" humorously describes the rush's mixed motivations—some seeking natural resources, others quick profits. The overall satire mocks both American commercial greed and the broader international competition for resource extraction during this period of imperial expansion.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
America. cians, and others.) AT country! ‘tis on thee, Sweet land of solvency, L come to fe Land of the lengthy green, Which [ afar have seen, My purse is lank and lean; Thy wad I need. Thy superfluity, In hungry ecstasy, I contemplate: BOUND FOR KLONDIKE, Thy tender heart I know— Thy tender head also— ur dough ‘oO separate. Land of the mighty boss! I love thy sordid dross More than enough: I love thy rocks—“ and rills: Thy woods "and dollar bills: My pocket quickly fills With real hard stuff. Thy eagle I adore; Thy double-eagle more— It is a bir Likewise my fruit—a peach! Long may he live and sereech: (This tangle in my speech Shows how I'm stirred.) Let music swell the breeze, And ring from all the trees, “This isa cinch!” Let every broken beat Come here and get his meat; Then gratefully repeat, “This is a cinch!” Cornelius R. Berrien,