Life, 1899-01-12 · page 20 of 20
Life — January 12, 1899 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main cartoon depicts **Uncle Sam** with a knife, threatening to remove a "hide"—a reference to the **Spanish-American War of 1898**. The caption's casual tone ("now so long as I'm at it, I guess I'll take the whole hide right off") satirizes American imperial expansion beyond Cuba. After defeating Spain, the U.S. acquired territories including the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico. The joke critiques how American intervention, ostensibly limited in scope, ballooned into widespread territorial acquisition. The cartoon reflects contemporary debate over whether the U.S. should become an imperial power. Life magazine's satirical stance questions American interventionism masquerading as humanitarian action. The remainder of the page consists of period advertisements (Vin Mariani tonic, Pall Mall Magazine, Rubifoam dentifrice) and a testimonial letter praising Waltham watches' reliability, typical of Life's advertising content.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Uncle Sam: NOW 80 LONG AS I'M AT IT, I GUESS I'LL TAKE THE WHOLE MIDE RIGHT OFF. | Indigestion ? === Jugend The Ideal French Tonic FOR BODY AND BRAIN Since 1863, Endorsed by Medical Faculty lasting efficacious MARIAN! wins) | immediate agreeable PALL MALL MAGAZINE. January Number Now Ready, Contains: The Fall of Khartoum: Notes from a Captain's Diary During the 1898 Campaign. ILLUsTRATED FROM Srectat, PuoToonarns. Ensign Kalghtiey's Home-Coming, - - - = = = 2 = A A Short Story of Extraordinary and Thrilling Interest.) Naval Heroes at Westminster Abbey. Parti, - - - - = E. T. Murray Smith. Suppressed Plates. |.—Ihackeray, - - '- = = George Somes Layard. (The First of Three Articles of Commanding Literary Interest.) The Ship: Her Story, Wh, = = = ee ee Rembrandt Exhibition at Amsterdam: Impressions, - - - (With Photographs After Pictures.) juall-Shooting In Southern Californla,- = - = = = The Skirts of Chance: Ill. The Open Door, - By Frances Hl, Low. H, Annesley Vachell. - + + HB. Marriott Watson. And many other interesting features, including an exquisite photogravure frontis- piece. This number begins a new volume. Subscribe NOW. $3.00 a year. PALL MALL MAGAZINE, . . MENTION LIFE AND SEND 10 CENTS FOR SAMPLE COPY. Perfect Dentifrice. Rubifoam is thi. best dentifrice. The best people use the best denti- frice. Therefore, the best people use Rusifoam Do you? Popular price, ge. Send 2c. stamp for sample vial. Ad dress EW. Hoyt & Co, Lowell, Mass. A.B. W. Mason.g | W. Clark Russell. Astor Court, New York.} | Hong Kong, Oct. 17, 1898. Gentlemen: It may interest you to know that one of your watches was bought by me some time early in 1882 and has been knock- ing about all over the world ever since. It still keeps perfect time and I have often used it for navigating purposes instead of the ship’s watch. Yours sincerely, J. W. Fantlough, Lieut. Royal Navy, H. M. S. Grafton. The American (Waltham) Watch Co. Mass. comichooks.caym