Life, 1898-11-24 · page 3 of 20
Life — November 24, 1898 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Dark Secret" - Life Magazine, Page 403 This satirical piece mocks racial and ethnic stereotypes of the era. A journalist claims to work for a "great newspaper which tells the Great Father at Washington what to do," suggesting satirical commentary on press influence. The dialog ridicules pseudo-intellectual racism through absurd exchanges: a Native American character is called "pale face" and "red man," while the journalist makes patronizing comments about "civilization" and "Indian gold brick." References to whiskey and degrading stereotypes appear throughout. The accompanying photograph shows "A Chicago Wedding," with a cryptic caption directing readers to "consult the records of the Cook County divorce court"—likely satirizing society marriages or infidelity. The overall piece mocks both racist attitudes and journalistic pretension of the period.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
POR THE IDENTITY OP TUX LADY ON THE RIGHT, COX! The Dark Secret. -” WAS writing on space, and, there- fore, gave him his full title. ** Now, look here, Chief Bung y Wump Ump Fizz,” I ‘said, ‘1 wish you would tell me just what grievances you have against the pale faces.” “Pale face from Great Father?” asked the chief. “More than that,” I replied, im- pressively, **I am from a great news- paper which tells the Great Father at Washington what to do.” He gazed at me stupidly. AT A CHICAGO WEDDING. “Newspaper ; big — wide — sheet — read.” A gleam of almost human intelligence shone in his face. “Ugh!” he grunted. like yellow blanket!” How he knew I worked for such a paper, I don’t know. “ Well?” I queried, continuing. “White man sell Red man bunco, make Red man very blue.” * Really !” Lexclaimed. “The agent, I presume, does that to show patriotism.” **Sell Indian gold brick,” continued the chief.‘ Teach Indian civilization,” “Heap large; THE RECORDS OF THE COOK COUNTY DIVORCE COURT. “And you don’t want to become civilized ?” I asked in a shocked tone. “Heap like to be civilized. Much fun. Nocan. Bad! Bad!” ** Civilization 2” “No. Not him; fire-water.” “You refer to whiskey ?” “Yes. Heap bad whiskey.” «But now, my dear chief, I appeal to you asa man, what has the bad whiskey which the agent sells got to do with your being civilized 2” “Ugh! Pule face don’t know much, No civilized man can drink whiskey pale face sells Indian !” comicbooks.com