Life, 1899-06-15 · page 8 of 20
Life — June 15, 1899 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 506 **Main Editorial Cartoon ("Absurd!"):** The top right illustration satirizes the *New York Times'* suggestion that Republican ticket-holder Belichley and Alger should head the War Department if America enters conflict. The cartoon depicts a scraggly, unkempt man (representing one of these figures) speaking with a well-dressed gentleman and woman, with dialogue about farming ("corn," "hoe"). The satire mocks the Times' proposal as absurd—suggesting these men are unqualified for such serious military responsibility. **"Romance of the Links" (Left Side):** Simple stick-figure sketches humorously depicting golf swings and positions—visual wordplay on romantic "links" versus golf links. **"Good Railroad Romance" (Bottom Right):** Brief article discussing how railroad stories have become popular American fiction, citing recent literary works using railroad settings and characters.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Absurd! FATUOUS and unpatriotic sug- gestion is made by our usually in- telligent contemporary, the New York Times. It is to the effect that the Re- publican ticket in 1900 shall be McKinley and Alger. Does the Z'imes take the American people for fools? We are likely to be plunged into war at any time, and we need Mr. Algerat the head of the War Department instead of acting as A ROMANCE OF THE LINKS, “NOT GWINE TER MEETIN' DIS MORNIN’, BRER BENDERSON ?"* “CYARN'T DO IT, PARSON. GOT TER HOE OVER SOME CORN, J1ST PLANTED.” “nor cYARn't De conn wart?” “NOT 80 WELL A DE Lonp caN.” Vice-President, with no contracts to give out or appointments to make. Does the Times wish to see our canned-beef indus- tries go completely to smash ? A Good Railroad Romance. HE Railroad story bas become as dis- tinct a type as the Sea story. It is moro at home in America than elsewhere, because, perhaps, It is connected with the origin of our great fortunes. As a title gives a good background for romance in foreign lands, 80 a great fortune is an admirable stuge-setting for American melodrama, Kip- ling’s “Captains Courageous,” Ford's “ Great K. & A, Train Robbery” and Lynde’s A Romance in Transit” are recent examples of the Railroad motive in fiction. The ancient typo of short story, where the engineer was the hero and called his locomotive “old girl,” and talked about her good points in high-