Life, 1900-09-06 · page 1 of 20
Life — September 6, 1900 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "In the Field of Sport" This page from Life magazine (Sept. 6, 1900) contains a humorous illustration about a contest between "Silas Newby and his ball." The cartoon shows a dog straining against a rope while a small devil-like figure rides atop a ball above, with the caption crediting "Padlock Corder." The joke appears to be a visual pun: the dog is literally competing against a ball (and winning the "toss"), playing on the phrase "the ball won the toss"—a sports expression. The devil figure likely represents fate or chance in competitive sport. The ornate left border contains decorative vignettes typical of Life's design aesthetic. Without additional historical context about Silas Newby, the specific sporting reference remains unclear, though the humor relies on wordplay rather than political commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XXXVI. NEW YORK, SEPT. 6, 1900. NUMBER 930. Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Mai] Matter. Copyright, 1900, by Liz PUBLISHING ComPaxY. IN THE FIELD OF SPORT. “In a contest to-day between Silas Newby and his bull, the bull won the toss."” —Podunk Courter. comicbooks.com