Life, 1901-04-04 · page 10 of 32
Life — April 4, 1901 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 272 The main cartoon depicts a chaotic crowd fleeing en masse, captioned "IS IT COMING EAST? THE PLAGUE IN KANSAS THIS YEAR IS NEITHER GRASSHOPPERS NOR POTATO BUGS." This references a real agricultural disaster in Kansas—likely a plague of insects (grasshoppers or potato bugs were common crop destroyers in the era). The exaggerated panic shows people running in terror, satirizing the severity of the farming crisis. Below, "Gentility and Agriculture" presents a humorous dialogue mocking gentleman farmers. A wealthy man named Tailer-Taylor claims to be a farmer while clearly engaging in leisure activities (yachting, hunting). The text satirizes the pretense of wealthy urbanites playing at farming while maintaining gentlemanly pursuits, suggesting farming and genuine gentility are incompatible lifestyles.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Resurrection. LP papers tell us, with great awe, of a gentleman burglar. Burglary and agriculture would appear to be the only callings in which gentlemen ad- vertise themselves. But gentlemen farmers seem to have ‘ar more pleasant life than is enjoyed by gentlemen burglars. It is more spectacular. Gentlemen burglars work 1S IT COMING EAST? Southern pilgrimage, and the time when everybody is in town. Barrington Kid, Gunpay. -SCHOOL TEACHER : Johnnie, do you know the name of Lot's wife? JouNNIE: It must have been Lottie Rubber. Toss We oat ~ THY PLAGUE IN KANSAS THIs YEAR JS NEITHER GRASSHOPPERS NOR POTATO BUGS. Gentility and Agriculture. yon know what Tam?” asked young Tailer. gentleman farmer.” “Well,” I gentleman because you or are you a farmer be gentlema cireumst observed, ; a farmer, suse You are it Is it necessary, under the . to certify to There's nothing u your gen- ntleman- , so far as T know. entleman theatrical manager, why——" “Oh, yon be hanged!" exclaimed young Tailer-Taylor, and went off to order some corduroy clothes. ow, this gentleman-farmer business irritates one. IT never heard of a gentleman banker or a gentleman doc- tor, although IT dare say that most bankers and most doctors are gentle- men. Sometimes, however, the news- in secret, buta gentleman farmcr has a hoase-party of guests to appland his efforts. indeed, are as essentia ment as is } tinually in process of construction. Gentleman farming has been com- pared to yachting. Yachting is cheaper, and I suppose that fact is the reason we never hear of a gentle- man sailor, It is also true that when a yentleman is in the middle of the non a yacht, he is obliged to a yachtsman, even if he desu’t want to. But a gentleman farmer can at any time drop the farm- ing end of it and be a gentleman pure and simple—pure in some cases 2 simple in the majority of them. is aconvenience of which young Tailer- Taylor occasionally avails himself— during the Newport season, for example, and the hunting months, and the The guests, a part of his equip- s New Barn, which is con- A RUSSIAN EASTER EGo. Ccomicbooks.com