Life, 1901-07-04 · page 12 of 20
Life — July 4, 1901 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Mrs. Swinbleton's First Race" This is a humorous domestic story about a married couple's disagreement over attending horse races. Mrs. Swinbleton wants to go to the races at Sheepshead Bay, but her husband Sam objects—claiming it's too expensive for their limited income and that he disapproves of betting. The main cartoon shows a comical accident at the racetrack, labeled "WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN," depicting spectators being thrown from what appears to be a viewing stand or grandstand structure. The satire targets both gender roles (the wife's desire for entertainment versus the husband's financial caution) and the social dangers of the racetrack itself. The visual humor emphasizes the chaotic, potentially hazardous nature of attending such events—making Mrs. Swinbleton's husband's concerns ironically validated by the illustrated accident.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Mrs. Swimbleton's First Race. 5 one had sent Sam Swimbleton a badge entitling him to free admission to the races at Sheepshead Bay. When he went home to dinner that evening he mentioned the fact to Mrs. leton. “Why don’t you 2” she queried. we were married, and I togoal “Can'tafford it, my dear, It'sno fun to go without betti A betting is too ive a luxury without you, and you wouldn'tcare for st." “I'm not so sure of that. I never saw a horse-race, but from the amount of time you and the men who come here give talking about the races there must be something interesting about them. I really think I should like to go.” how about the betting? We haven't any money to lose Yes, we have. There's that fifty s Aunt Hetty gave me to buy a birthday present, and then there's the you got for your bachelor bookcase. Wouldn't that beenough?” “Plenty ; but how about our trip to the Pan-American?” “Tf we lost, we'd have to give that up. But—" and here Mrs. Swimble- ton’s feminine optimism asserted it- self—" we might win, “Don't you believe it. We don't know a thing about the ponies, and I've lost all the horse-racing acquaint- ances 1 ever had.” ver mind ; we'll just bet on our in love, unlucky at—horse- racing,” replied Sam, who still retained some of his bachelor superstitions. “ But Pl tell you what we'll do. I'll put in my thirty-five against thirty-five of your fifty, and you'll have fifteen left to carry out the benevolent intentions of your respected aunt. If we drop it, why we'll just substi- tute Coney Island for the Pan-American and charge the difference up to experience. That will give us ten dollars for expenses and ten dollars to bet on each race.” That evening Mrs. Swimbleton laid out her new summer taffeta with the cerise ribbons, and Sam resurrected his field-glass from the top shelf of the closet, to which it “You haven't been to the races since WHAT GOES UP MUST had been relegated when he and his bride went to housekeeping. . ° ° HE next day saw the Swimbletons early in good seats on the grand stand, They had lunched at the track to the unusual accompaniment of a bottle of champagne, which Sam insisted was the only proper drink in the circumstances, and which, he explained, was included in the ten dollars expenses already charged up to experience. As they scanned the entries for the first vw " comicbooks.com