Life, 1901-08-08 · page 8 of 20
Life — August 8, 1901 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Path of a Five-Cent Cigar" This satirical comic strip traces the journey of an inexpensive cigar through various hands and contexts. The narrative appears to critique class distinctions and labor conditions of the era. The strip shows the cigar passing through a train car (upper panel), then through what appears to be working-class or immigrant scenes with animals and manual labor (middle panel), and finally ending in degradation (lower panel). The accompanying text references the W.C.T.U. (Women's Christian Temperance Union) and discusses "forbidden waters" and "meddling," suggesting social reform movements of the period. The left panel shows a caricatured figure in formal dress with exaggerated features—likely representing a wealthy consumer or businessman profiting from the cigar trade. The satire appears to mock both product commercialization and the moral crusades of contemporary reform movements.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
€4] 8 the name of the Prophet!” exclalmed the Cadl, as he seated himself on the Carpet of Justice, “ what is that hideous chatter withoat the curtain? Have all the daughters of Shitan broken loose from Ebilst" “No, Sublime Highness," replied Mustapha, “it ts only the chlef members of the W. C.T. U. whom the Aga of the Janizaries has sent to you for Interfering with the discipline of his fighting men.” ustapba,”* inquired the Cadi, severely, “have you been indulging in the forbidden Waters without my assistance? What do you mean by such dogs‘ talk as W.C.T.U.? Why don't you speak good Arabic when you are in this court?" “ Pardon, Highness, but It Is what a body of women call themselves, and means Women's Christian Temperance Union, On the face of It they are banded togcther to stop the sale of the fery waters of the Glaour, but they make that the excuse for meddilng with a lot of other things. “flim,” eJacaiated the Cadi, meditatively, “I don’t know bat they are partly right. He cueam, A LOVER OF DAGs PROM CONOR PUT ON SOME NEW RRINDLED CLOTHES A PANCY 00 COLLAR (AnOUT TWO FOR A DOLLAR), AND WORK ON Tis PACE A PCO Nose, » LIFE « THE PATH OF A FIVE.CENT CIGAR. comicbooks.com