Life, 1900-01-25 · page 9 of 20
Life — January 25, 1900 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of "One of the Best Stories I Ever Heard" by Russell Sage This page presents a humorous anecdote about a wealthy farmer who became prosperous through smart livestock breeding and farming. The story critiques wealth inequality: despite his success feeding the community, the farmer grew "poorer and poorer" as others profited from his labor and generosity. The cartoon below illustrates the story's moral lesson. It depicts a man in a top hat (representing wealth or authority) driving a horse-drawn cart while confronting another well-dressed figure on a bicycle. The caption suggests a domestic dispute—one man accuses the other of giving money to someone who eloped with his wife, threatening that if the money isn't returned, "we'll be comin' back to me again." The satire mocks wealthy men's entitlement and hypocrisy regarding money and relationships.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘: ONE OF ‘*7 HAVE heard many good stories In my day, which it would be useless for me to attempt to recall. There is so much in the way a story is told; often more than in the story itself, “Tama poor hand at telling stories myself. Let me see. Ob, I remember now a story I once heard Jay Gould tell. It was told as an illustration, and I will give it to you in his own words as nearly as I can recollect them. “*Thad a friend once,’ said Mr Gould, ‘whose great ambition was to make money enough to buy a farm and go into gentleman farming on a large scale. Well, he was a keen business man, and a very successful one, After a few years The Driver ; WHAT! YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE HALP YOUR HARD-EARNED FORTUNE TO THE MAN WHO FLO! -... TD EVER HEARD By Russell Sage. he retired from the Street and gratified his long-cherished desire. “He bought a big stock farm up the Hudson and began carrying out his grand plins, He bought the finest blooded stock he could find at enormous prices. He hired lots of help; he had his land all planted and seeded with the best of everything. There was no sort of fruit, grain or vegetable, too good for that farm. “«* He made a show place of it; invited all his friends and acquaintances to the place and entertained lavishly. Time went on, and each year this gentleman farmer grew poorer and poorer, until at last he gave up in disgust and went back THE Best STorIES ° to Wall Street, leaving his farm to the care of a German named Hans. Three years afterwards he visited the farm and found the plodding German prosperous and happy, with moncy in the bank. ‘** How is it, Hans?’ asked my friend, “that you have made hundreds of dollars where I lost thousands?’ “*Well, you see,’ said Hans, ‘you spendt money on eferyting, und trow id avay; you invidts all dose beobles who cat up all you raise. Now, all I raise in de garten und in de fields I dake to de market; what I cannod sell in de mar- ket I brings home und feeds to mine pigs, und vat mine pigs will not ead I feed to mine family.’” Sew ett Teaeehy D WITH YOUR WIFEY “AV CORSE; “TIS ME BIST MOVE, 1P Of DON'T, ME WOIPE LL BE COMIN BACK TO ME AGIN. comicbooks.com