Life, 1900-01-04 · page 13 of 20
Life — January 4, 1900 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains reader letters and editorial commentary addressing the Boer War. The prominent cartoon depicts **Britannia (winged female figure) riding a milk cart labeled "Way Dairy,"** likely satirizing British imperial commerce during the conflict. The letters debate England's past hostility toward America (referencing the 1775 Revolution) versus current sympathy during the Boer War. One writer defends supporting Britain despite historical grievances, while another critiques this "defective logic." References include: - **Ladysmith** (besieged British garrison in South Africa) - **Kruger** (Boer leader Paul Kruger) - **Lyddite** (explosive ammunition, humorously suggested to frighten a "Dutchman"—a Boer) - **Philippines** (ongoing American colonial conflict, used as counterargument) - **Rudyard Kipling** (celebrated war poet) The satire explores American ambivalence about supporting Britain—traditionally a rival—against the Boers, while America itself pursued imperial expansion. The "Crow Bar" illustration (lower right) remains unclear without caption context.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
| | | -LIFE- SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC. AQUAHIUS JANUARY, have room for tt, could yon publish Rew address in Chicago, so 1 could send It to him? Yours very truly and thankfully, “A 8 Pretty warm work tn the Transvaal? ‘ToRosTo. y TUR QUREN.” Eprror Lire, EAR SIR: Ido not wish nuisance around Lt disliked, but, having read a “ Constant fe . letter in your current number, 1 have a litte Mlsaltuated far out tn the West, message To him enclosed with this letter, You Where livesan trate citizen, with » small did me the honor of pubitahtog @ letter of mine supply of brains, some time ago, for which I thank you heartily, Wots barking at the Lion with the knowing how valuable your space Ls, but If you rest have ® corner to Insert the enclosed, I will be If you wish to make him “appy, Just more than indebted to you. If you xbould not send a Union Jack, AN ANSWER TO " CONSTANT READER." > be considered a office or get myselt ‘There Is a windy clty in Uncle Sam's tera” domatns, 13 It will surely give him epileptic fits ; He's a soldier of the Unton, and he boasts that he has fought, But a Lyddite now would scare him from his wits. If he's looking out for trouble, why not go farther South, Where the Philippines are kicking up a row? Instead of talking nonsense and tghting with his mouth, | Like s0 many people who are living now. Perhaps he ts a Dutchman ; tf he ts, he's far from home, So to Ladysmith he'd better now repair, Where there are lots of open entries in the ranks of Kruger's Own, And he'll see some sights that soon will raise his hair. He wants a Kipling poem, witha moral of bis own, But Rudyard never got so far out West. He had better send an order to the man who's “ Tommies™ frien And a thousand pounds—the poet dpes the reat! And now, my gallant comrade (for I'm a soldier, too, ‘Tho’ aahot that's fired in anger ne'er I've seen), If you don't feel any better, have a drop or 80 on me! Good-bye—yours truly. oldter of the Queen.” ANOTHER LETTER. To THE EpITon oF Live Under the caption of “A Letter," Lire recently printed some remarks from « Union soldier upon England and her attitude tn the past to the United States—such attitude being intended asa guide for us in her present struggle with the Hoera, The reasoning being that because England hated us in the past we should hate her now, and that because abe wus Wrong with us tn the war of 1775 she must be wrong now In the war of 1800 Is not this very defective logic, to say nothing of morality? Suppose America was to Judge herself by the standard of consistency. If in the war of A CROW BAR.