Life, 1902-03-06 · page 5 of 22
Life — March 6, 1902 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 185 The main cartoon depicts **Uncle Sam** (identified by his characteristic hat and striped pants) confronting a large, menacing figure labeled "FOOD TRUST" laden with groceries. The accompanying text warns that "a little hog killing might be a good thing for the country at large." This satirizes **food monopolies** (trusts) that controlled egg and produce distribution, keeping prices artificially high. The cartoon references specific grievances: the Beef Trust allegedly hoarded eggs in Chicago cold storage; wholesale egg prices had risen to thirty-five cents per dozen. The satire suggests that breaking up these monopolistic "trusts"—humorously metaphorized as killing a hog—would benefit consumers through lower food prices. This reflects Progressive Era anxiety about corporate monopolies controlling essential goods.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
WING to a “ corner" engineered by the Beef Trust an egg famine 1s threatened. In Chicago storage warehouses e Trust 1s sald to bold 15,000,000 dozen eggs,which were bought at twenty: three to twenty-five cents per dozen, The wholesale price here yesterday was thirty-tive cents per dozen. HAR! HA sah Uncle Sams & LITTLE 100 KILLING MIGHT BE A GOOD THTNO FOR THE COUNTRY AT LARoK The Twentieth Century Primer. THE AUTHOR. HAT can that Man be doing? He stands upon a Plat- form, and every one is Looking at Him. Is he Read- ing? Yes, He is Reading Aloud. Heisan Author. Isita Good Thing to Read alond? It is if you can get enough Women to Listen at One dollar per, Look at the Author now. He has stopped Reading and is Receiving Congratu- lations. How Proud he is. Isn’t it nice to be an Author? When there is Money in it. TUR KITCHEN. Here we have a Kitchen. How funny the Kitchen looks. There are pots and Pans everywhere. The Kitchen looks as if it had been struck by a Cyclone. And whois There in the Kitchen? Surely it is not the Cook. Oh, no. The Cook has just left. She heard there was Company coming. This is Why she Went. The Person you see so Busy is the Lady of the Honse. She is About to Cook the Dinner. Will she have it Ready when the Company comes? Let us hope so. tur crncvs. A Circus is Coming. Hear the Music, See the Elephants and the Camels. And the Beautiful Lady in the Chariot. Look at the Folks running to the Windows. Here comes the President of the Bank. Here are the Congressman and the Clergyman and the gray-bearded Lawyer. Are they Ashamed? No, they have forgotten to be. At Present they are too Busy looking at the Circus. TUE AUDI Here we have an Audience. The Andience is Busily Engaged in looking ata Play. How the Audience laughs and Applauds. On the Stage are a lot of Painted Things with a great scarcity of Clothes, and a Funny Man who is Saying Witty Things, That is, they seem Witty to the Audience. This is What Makes a Successful Play. Legs and the Woman. Isn’t it Nice that this is all the Audience Requires? Perhaps, however, they would like Something better if they Could Get It. Who knows? THE PIE. Hello, Hero is a Piece of Pie! How Good it Looks. Its Crust is Hard and Firm, It has Sugar sprinkledover it. It is fullof Hard Green Apples, half cooked. Here comes a Man. Will the Man eat the pie? He is a thin, Nervous Man, and Does not weigh more than Ninety pounds. His Face is Hard and Drawn. Yes, Wo are sure He will eat the Pie. THE TEMPERANCE REFORMER, This severe-looking Person is a Temperance Reformer. She never Smiles. She hates Rum in any Form. She would not drink a Cocktail if she Could. She thinks it is Wrong for Anyone else not to Believeas She docs. Would you like to be a Temperance Reformer? Perhaps you would if you could make Money enough by Lecturing. 7. M. comicbooks.com