Life, 1902-05-15 · page 5 of 20
Life — May 15, 1902 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 421 **Main Cartoon (top):** Depicts an elephant labeled with various corporate trusts ("Beef Trust," "Oil," etc.) being examined by small figures labeled "Uncle Sam." The satire critiques massive corporate monopolies of the era—the "trusts" that dominated American industry. The elephant's massive size versus the tiny observers emphasizes how these corporations dwarfed government oversight. **Context:** This reflects early 20th-century "trust-busting" debates, when monopolistic corporations controlled entire industries. The cartoon suggests Uncle Sam struggles to manage or control these economic giants. **Lower text:** Includes satirical content ("A Psalm of Empire") and "Modern Examples" discussing automobiles and Filipino assimilation—likely commenting on American imperialism and technological/social change of the period.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
W vinid> = , Oe SAY, MARK, THAT TIME-HONORED BEAST HAS CHANGED AWPULLY UNDER YOUR MANAGEMENT. T[HIS, trom a little paper called The Whim, published in Newark, New Jersey, is not a bad rendering of a modern instance : A Psalm of Empire. 1, I am the Filipino’s shep- herd ; he shall not want. 2, I make him to lie down on the battlefield : I pursue him be- side the still waters, 3. Lincorporialize his soul : I lead him into the paths of un- righteousness for my trade's sake, 4. Yea, though he walk into the valley of the shambles of death he shall fear no evil, for I am with him; my shot and my bayonet they benevolently assimilate him. 5. I prepare a table before him for the feasting of his enemies ; T anoint his head with civilization ; his canteen runneth over. 6. Surely Greed and Militarism shall follow him all the days of his life and he shall dwell in the folds of Old Glory forever. Palmer Albertson, Modern Examples. AX autcmobile that gives out a smell of eight hundred and fifteen vibrations to the second, and has a speed of forty miles an hour, has an average specific gravity of 41144 to the intelligence of its owner, and can run over one child and smash two wagons in every eighteen minutes. About how much is the owner worth? In a seaside hotel there are eighteen summer girls and three men. Suppose that every girl is kissed twenty-one times before she becomes engaged, and that three men, working four hours a day, can kiss four girls eighty-two times. What time will elapse before all the summer girls will have become engaged to all the men? Ont of a band of Filipinos who are being benevolently assimilated, twenty per cent. are shot, twenty per cent. of the remainder are crippled for life, twenty per cent. of the remainder are tortured, and there are three left to listen to the missionaries. How many were there in the beginning ? HE: How the poor Boers must suffer for want of coverings. He: Not as much as you might think. Nearly every Boer captured recently had on from two to four British uniforms, comicbooks.com