Life, 1898-06-30 · page 20 of 21
Life — June 30, 1898 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical cartoon depicts a tall, bearded man (appearing to represent a dishonest businessman or tailor) confronting a young boy customer. The dialogue reveals the con: the man claims the ill-fitting suit is the boy's fault—"Dot suit fit dot man awful tight, fader"—using an exaggerated accent to suggest a foreign swindler. The boy protests he couldn't wear it without tearing it. The satire mocks deceptive sales practices common in the era: blaming customers for products' defects rather than accepting responsibility. The exaggerated dialect stereotype reinforces contemporary prejudices against immigrant merchants. The humor relies on readers recognizing this as a familiar scam tactic—shifting blame to extract money from customers. The surrounding advertisements for bicycles, investment securities, and tonics contrast honest business claims ("most reliable") with this dishonest approach, implicitly endorsing quality over deception.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
BUSINESS TACTICS. er just departed): Dot suit fit dot man awfal tight, fader. | LS ‘Watch the Tires!” | In these days of low prices, should remem- makers save $$$ on every wheel by fitting cheap tires, for which you suffer, Rone BICYCLES Price $60 |All have G & J Tires, most costly, but most reliable. Gormully & Jeffery Mfg. Co. Chicago. Boston, Washington. e Brooklyn. Detroit. Cincinnat! falo. Cleveland. Londo! |] Payment of $0 cents the return limit may be ex- } ADENSCEDT 5S 1S PERFECTION. Fiom Pun. High Grade Investment Securities SUITABLE FOR TRUSTEES, INSTITUTIONS, AND INVESTORS, Bankers FOR SALE BY Redmond, Kerr & Co. Dealers. Ist of current offerings sent upon application, Deposits received subject to cheque. Commission orders executed. Members New York Stock Exchange. 41 Wall Street, New York. MARIAN! win Consumption ? === 6) The Ideal French Tonic FOR BODY AND BRAIN Since 1963, Endoreed by Medical Faculty immediate fasting efficacious agreeable CONVENTION NATIONAL EDUCA- TIONAL ASSOCIATION, WASH- INGTON, D. C. Reduced Rates via Pennsylvania Railroad. For the National Ecucatfonal Association Con- to 12, the Pennsylvania Railroad Company will | sell excursion tickets from points on Its line to Washington and return at rate of single fare for the round trip plus $2.00 membership Jee. These tickets will be sold on, and good going, July $to 7, and good to return, leaving Wash- ington July 8 to 15, when stamped by Joint | Agent at Washington. By depositing ticket | with Joint Agent on or before July 12 and on | tended to August 31. Tickets for side trips from Washington to Gettysburg, Richmond, Old | Point Comfort and Southern battlefields will be on sale at the ticket offices of the Pennsylvania WHEN AN ARTICLE HAS REACHED the point where ita sales are much larger than any others it ts fair to presume that its owners will realize the fact that they have heen enabled to reach the desired er ‘on its quality, and to hold jt against all comers only by honestly maintaining the same high grade, year in and year out. ‘The distillers of the bamen=! ‘‘Old Crow Rye” use the same sctentific formula, Rig the same spring of water, the same quality of grain, never feed cattle or hoga on the premises. It 18 not. possible to produce its equal under any other conditions. =F 4B. KIRK & CO., SOLE BOTTLERS, Established 1853. 69 Fulton Street, Raliroad Company in Washington during the contipuance of the Convention. Also Broadway and 27th St. N. Y. Evans’ Ale possesses all the Ingredients of & quality requisite to impart Agreeable Flavor Lasting Froth Sparkling Brilliancy Richness of Bouquet and all in a degree never be- fore attained in ale brewing Supreme delight for all who seck per, Section, CONCENTRATED GOODNESS. Dentifrices BENEDICTINS de Soulac. — Unlike other ai Dentifrices contain water, these are }} put up in concen- trated form, a few drops of the Elixir in a quar- ter of a glass of water being am- ply sufficient. Also pot up in ste and powder form. ‘Three cents brings C GREAT RESORTS, As Americans are likely to spend ty summer in the United States they wil want to find the most comfortal means of reaching ‘‘ America’s Gre: Resorts.” This being the case, the thoughts will naturally turn ¢ “America’s Greatest Railroad,” New York Central. More summer 80 health resorts are located along its and reached by its through Parlor Sleeping Cars than any other railroad.