Life, 1900-01-25 · page 8 of 20
Life — January 25, 1900 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 68 **"The Unshakable One"** cartoon (top left) depicts a tall, thin figure labeled "Incubus" sitting heavily on a smaller man's chest. The dialogue suggests political weight—the seated figure claims he's "shaken lots of worse ones than you," referencing past political crises ("the Silver Scare, the Philippine Problem, and the Trust Turmoil"). This appears to satirize how politicians or the public endure recurring political scandals without lasting impact. The right side contains two nature illustrations titled "Unnatural History, Second Series"—"The Jail-Bird" and "The Flying Buttress"—with humorous poetic descriptions anthropomorphizing animals. These are light satirical pieces comparing birds to human conditions (imprisonment, wandering). The page blends political commentary with naturalist humor typical of Life magazine's satirical approach.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
SPORTING PHRASE, “CARRYING WEIGHT POR AGE.” The Unshakable One. “He ho, ho! You would, would you?” sneered the Incubus, settling himself more heavily upon my chest. “Yes, I would—and will,” I replied, decidedly, and the bed creaked and groaned with my efforts to unseat bim. “Ha, ba, ha! No, you won't,” laughed the Incubus, *T've come to stay.” “Bab!” T retorted, scornfully, ‘I've shaken lots of worse ones than you off.” ‘The Incubus simply sunk his talons deeper into my brain. “Nit.” he observed, with the rudest succinctness, * Yes, I have,” I insisted, positively. ‘I've yotten rid of the Silver Scare, the Philippine Problem, and the Trust Tur- moil, and even the Wiuter Coal Bill,” “Phew °" whistled the Incubus, contemptuously, ‘* Do you compare me—me with such light-weights? I'll show you.” And he squatted ponderously upon me until [ could neither move nor breathe. For the first time a paralyzing doubt of my powers of resist- auce assailed me.‘ What—what are you?” I gasped, ina panic. “Tam the Possible Party,” he bragged, with a diabolical grin, A horrible suspicion flared up in my mind. ‘ You don’t mean——?" 1 cried. “*T do,” said the Incubus, with dreadful solemnity, ‘I am really and truly the fear that your wife will insist upon giving a party this winter 1” He was right. I have not, I cannot, shake him off. Alex. Ricketts, ITERARY NOTE: Rumor says that Jesse James is to follow next after Oliver Cromwell in the Roosevelt Biographies of Strenuous Men, THE JAIL- BIRO. HIS isa Jail-bird. Isn't ita shamo To keop him in a cago and try to tamo His wild desires for freedom? See him droop Behind his bars, Ho wants to fly the coop. But to beguile his tedious lonely hours Kind ladies bring him nosogays of bright flowors. THE FLYING BUTTRESS. HE Flying Buttross, every day and night, T Continues in his long, unwearied fight. He's not a song-bird, but he's said to be Famed for his beauty and his symmetry. Ho frequonts an old abbey or a manso; Tho ostrich eats him it he getsachunce. Carolyn Wells, comicbooks.com