Life, 1900-08-02 · page 14 of 20
Life — August 2, 1900 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Main Content: "The Sad Case of Mr. Astor"** This satirizes William Waldorf Astor, a wealthy American who emigrated to London seeking happiness but found only scandal. The piece describes his rudeness to Captain Milne at a concert (inviting himself uninvited), causing embarrassment to the Prince of Wales and leading to social discipline. The satire's point: Astor is a "misfit" everywhere—his wealth and status cannot buy him contentment or social grace. **"A Question of Conscience" Vignette** A brief joke about moral compromise: a man votes for the "right" candidate but lies about it to keep his job, exposing the gap between public principle and private self-interest. **"A Flat Refusal" Cartoon** The left illustration shows a landlord refusing entry to an apartment, citing "No Children Allowed"—reflecting real housing discrimination practices of the era. **Bottom Cartoon** A tailor struggling to fit an exceptionally large gentleman, joking that wealthy eccentrics are harder to accommodate than ordinary people—visual commentary on Astor's exceptional but problematic status.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘LIFE: saw him, reproached him for coming uninvited, drove him from the house with threats and execrations, and put a piece in the paper about him next day. Mr. Astor knows how it distresses a sensitive man to have pieces about him put in the paper, for the fact that the ers would talk about him was one of the reasons he gave for New York. It scems to be felt in London that he was ably rude to Captain Milne. The dispatches say that the f Wales disapproves of his behavior to the extent of not sceing him when he meets him, that one or two clubs propose to discipline him, and that Captain Milne is overrun with notes telling him that the “honor of his presence is desired.” The fact that Mr. Astor has apparently been made to apologize docs not scem to fave bettered matters, so far as he is concerned. Everybody who understood Mr. Astor understood his shaking of the American dust off his fect, and will understand how he got into this new serape. It is excusable that we should grin at him, but still the truth about him is not ludicrous but tragic, for he isa isfit man—a misfit in New York ; a misfit in London. Wherever es calum non animwn will come true to his discomfiture. Poor n! With good appliances and opportunities he can’t have fun. Ile needs a change of heart. Some missionary society ought to send a missionary to convert A Question of Conscience. «¢ A MAN'S conscience is a queer thing.” A PLAT REFUSAL. . ; “What makes you think 50?” consequence to anybody. There will, therefore, «Well, I was thinking of Smith. He be no Chauncey Depews. votes for the man he thinks right to quiet The :ables will be cut to avoid communication jis conscience, and then lies about it to with the rest of the world. America for the jeep his job.” Americans! Astronomy will be tabooed, no entangling alliances with other planets being permitted. European travel will naturally cease then, there being no object in getting robbed. As the principal object in living will be to cultivate enough grain to sustain human life, all unnecessary public buildings will be torn down to make room for gardens. Thus architectural art will have made a great stride. We will all be farmers then, and New York will look as the outskirts of Brooklyn do now. There being no reason for difference in classes, society will not exist, and Newport, Bar Harbor, Lenox and the Waldorf-Astoria will be inhabited by respectable people. The Four Hundred will be dissipated, not as it is at present, but by Time. Think of it! With no Congress, Wall Street, Senators, Office-holders, Crokers, Walking Delegates, Anthony Com- stocks, Hannas, or Society, and cut off from the rest of the world, Heaven will seem like a poor excuse for dying. It will be a great, dollarless Day. The Sad Case of Mr. Astor. he Ap C218 ont sympathies are stirred in behalf of that unfortu- nate gentleman, Mr. William Waldorf Astor. It will be recalled that he formerly lived in New York, but expatriated himself, went to London and became a subject of Victoria, because, do what he would, he could not be happy at home. Now the cable tells how he gavesa concert, to which was brought Captain Milne, who had not been invited. The Captain came with a lady at whose house he had been dining. Mr. Astor, when he . 9 wy “YOU SEE, 81M, WITH ORDINARY PEOPLE IT’ ZASY TO FIT A COAT, BUT 17'6 DIFFERENT WITH GENTLEMEN OP YOUR EXCEPTIONAL FIGURE !""