Life, 1899-02-09 · page 14 of 20
Life — February 9, 1899 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine contains several satirical pieces mocking high society pretensions and social climbing: **"At the Soda Fountain"**: A working-class child asks a soda fountain attendant for "five royal cards" (likely "royal" being a mistaken pronunciation), revealing linguistic/class differences that comedians of the era exploited. **"The World's Progress"**: A gossip column with deliberately absurd names (*Pursey Pride*, *Freezie Chillum*, *Fatuous Chump*) satirizing society's obsession with genealogy, wealth display, and trivial social events. References to Boston and Madison Avenue suggest old money versus new money tensions. **"Strong Enough"**: A brief joke about how scandal-mongering society women claim moral reluctance while eagerly spreading gossip anyway. **"A Trifle Severe"**: A hunter's boast about wildlife is deflated when a woman suggests the only "tame thing" in the South was him—a sexual innuendo joke. The cartoons mock Gilded Age class consciousness, aristocratic pretension, and social hypocrisy typical of early 20th-century American satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
AT THE SODA FOUNTAIN, “ M™ TREAT, IKENSTEIN, FIVE BOSTAL Cant WHAT'LL YOU WAVE?” UP YoU PLEASE.” The World’s Progress. M ISS JULIA PRIDE, daughter of Pursey b Pride, hates tandems, The Iceyback Chillums of Boston are visit ing the Shamms of Madison Avenue. T. Golden Pyle has been very attentive to Miss Freezie Chillum. Her great-grandmother on the inside was a Beacon, The Pursey Plumps bad two dinners on Mrs. G. Brazen Glare spent an hour with the dentist last Tuesday. Mr. and Mrs. P. de V. Blazé Rounders are very gay this winter. At their din- ner dance on the 13th, J, Fatuous Chump wore his new studs. His patent leathers were marvels of cl ce. His mother was a Richmond Bbrowne, and ber aunt was a Baltimore Ggrecne, née Rrobbinssone, Miss Minnie Polar of Boston wears rubbers on the street. She does this, not for decoration, but because they keep her feet drier. Her fox-terrier, Bab, is visiting at Aiken. Mrs. Lottsmore Stile and her daughter Fissie were seen on the avenue last Tuesday, It was a soul-stirring sight. The furs on these two women represented a fortune in themselves. The Stiles are very aristocratic. They never eat with their koives, Miss Fissie says she never rode in a street car in all her life. Strong Enough. M ISS CHITTERLY: Have you heard the terrible scandal about Miss Goldcutter? I don’t know that I ought to repeat it. Miss Pumiceton: Don’t, Just give me your own version. “BUT YOU MUST PROMISE ME, MI. PITZLITTLE, THAT YOU WON'T LET ME PALL" He promises. A Trifle Severe. R. HUNTER (with a blasé enthusiasm): I went South on a bunting trip this autumn, and found a most delightfully wild spot, perfectly swarming with game; such asdeer, wild turkey, wild pig, wild cattle, and Miss Witten (meaningly): Indeed! Why been the only tame thing down there. n wild horscs. u must have “4 HARDWOOD FINISH.”