Life, 1899-08-31 · page 15 of 20
Life — August 31, 1899 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two satirical cartoons addressing contemporary issues: **Top cartoon ("Historical Bits"):** Depicts a courtroom scene where a judge questions prisoner "John Smith," who claims his "real name" is assumed. This appears to satirize the newspaper wars among New York papers (the World, Journal, Sun, and Herald), referenced in the accompanying text. The cartoon likely mocks how these rival publications engaged in fierce competition and mudslinging, questioning each other's credibility and legitimacy—treating them as fraudsters hiding their true identities. **Bottom cartoon:** Shows a child refusing to answer his mother about receiving money from "Uncle Skinflint," saying he's "too s'prised." This humorous domestic scene illustrates a common social anxiety about stingy relatives—the joke being the child is so shocked by generosity from a notoriously cheap uncle that he's speechless. The accompanying "One-Sided" story satirizes a fishing scheme where a man arranges one-sided bargains, ultimately getting sued by the fisherman—mocking the illusion of getting "good luck" through manipulative deals.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
HISTORICAL BITS. Judge: Same. Prisoner: JOUN suiTH. Mamma: WHY, WILLE! GIVES YOU A CENT? “GEE! I'M TOO S'PRISED TO SAY ANYTHING." WHAT DO YOU SAY WHEN UNCLE SKINFLINT Ik. “HUH! asSUMED. WHAT'S YOCR REAL NAME?" T has been in some respects a lively summer for the news- papers of New York. The newsboys’ strike has embarrassed the World and the Journal more or less in their efforts to place their wares before the public; the Sun has had a printers’ strike on its hands, and the fend between the Sun and the Zerald—which smoulders sometimes, but never dies—has been blazing out with unusual fury. Itis odd with how much ardor these contemporaries assail one another, For many years they lived on terms of amicable toleration; but they fell out—was it not over some detail of news gathcring?—and since then there has been nothing too deplorable for either to believe of the other, Well, well! War is a lamentable business, but if news- papers must have it, it is far more satisfactory to have them wage it on their own account, and at their own cost, than to stir it up between nations, One-Sided. “WHEN I began my spring fishing,” said Colonel Spicer, «Twas actuated by a brilliant idea, and I called upon an enterprising fishermau with whom I bad done some business on former occasions. I said to him: ‘ Every time I go fishing this season and don’t catch anything, I will buy enough from you to exhibit and eat. Butevery time I catch more than [ want I will bring them in, and you can give me credit for them.’ Thus I was enabled to always have good luck.” “ How did you come out at the end of the season ?” asked Major Juniper. “* Well,” said the Colonel, ‘I just got a note from the fisher- man, saying he was going to place the account io the bands of a lawyer.