Life, 1898-12-01 · page 20 of 21
Life — December 1, 1898 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertising** with one small satirical cartoon at top-left. **The Cartoon:** Shows two figures in a domestic interior beneath bare tree branches. The caption references "empty bottles as 'dead men'"—a drinking slang term. One figure challenges this logic: "dead men tell no tales; empty bottles do," suggesting empty bottles are evidence of drinking and thus more incriminating than actual corpses. It's a mild joke playing on the contradiction in the phrase. **The Advertisements:** The page features prominent ads for: - Arnold Constable clothing (Broadway, NYC) - **Vin Mariani** - a French tonic wine marketed as medicinal for appetite and energy - Victor bicycles ($50, made in Massachusetts) - Evans' Ale These products represent typical 1890s consumer goods. Notably, Vin Mariani was a legitimate patent medicine of the era—wine-based tonics were marketed as healthful before pharmaceutical regulation tightened. The bicycle ad emphasizes quality and affordability during cycling's popularity boom.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
f There is a . 2 y Pe Eat completeness about 4g a | Evans’ Ale da lm | Constable Co. | Reb eae i ona 19 | oo, 1 lane by itself. Hae e ffeil Cloths. ft lande ocd cheer | YP ce || Ladle’ Fnced Cloths, New Colorings. | and brings light- f seoguirand Cycling Cloths, | heartedness and = 1 surrounds you with ‘en Men’s Wear. an Soe of ff i nitings, Overcoatings, 3 ; will an ce Suiting: i Ogereestings:, Moltons ou cet fo i Clubs, Cafes, | Broadevay AGB ote | crop fitter, f Hotels, NEW YORK. | Druggtists, Wine Merchants. Grocers. No Appetite 9 == beeen The Ideal French Tonks wane FOR BODY AND BRAW | Since 1863, Endorsed by Medica: Paculty immediate tasting efficacious agreeable 4 She: 1% THIS STORY IT REFERS TO EMPTY BOTTLES AS “DEAD MEN.” THAT'S ABSURD, He: WHERE'S THE AMSURDITY? “WELL, DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES; EMPTY BOTTLES DO."—Moonshine, “An honest tale speeds best being plainly told.” Victor Bicycles. Better Victor Bicycles than ever have been made. Better bicycles than are made anywhere at any price. The bicycle which we have been twenty years building. The bicycle which falls heir to all the good points of its predecessors The product of the best bicycle factory in the world. One model only—the best model. One price only—the popular price. We have always made bicycles to ride. We have resisted the temptation to make them only to sell. The ’99 Victor is the most ridable machine we have ever seen in any country. i Price $50. | Overman Wheel Co., Chicopee Falls, Mass. PREGS OF THE J. W. PRATT CO., NEW YORK.