Life, 1903-06-11 · page 14 of 20
Life — June 11, 1903 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains multiple satirical pieces typical of early Life magazine's humor: **Top cartoon** shows a dialogue between father and son about horse racing and gambling systems. The satire mocks men who follow "systems" for betting on horses, only to lose money repeatedly. The joke: despite knowing better, they keep consulting "experts" and inevitably "walk home" broke. **"Fanatical"** section sarcastically critiques British colonial expansion. It notes that Joseph Chamberlain celebrated the deaths of Fulani warriors (killed in battle) primarily because their defeat added territory to the British Empire—suggesting the real motivation wasn't moral righteousness but imperial acquisition. **"Unfit"** mocks a railroad executive ("Railway King") who is furious about an employee missing a chance to insult the public, but then laughs when hearing twenty people died in a collision. The satire exposes corporate indifference to public safety. **"Clothes"** and **"The man deceived"** appear to be brief humorous observations about social pretense and infidelity. The bottom cartoon's caption suggests confusion about bigamy laws.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
RECEPTION COMMITTEE WELCOMING COTTAGERS AT A JERSEY SUMMER RESORT. you nod according to your private judgment.” “Well, not exactly, my son. start off to do it, but you don't.” Do you You “What happens then? meet another man?"’ Yon, “Who is he?” . “Well, he is a man witha system.” “Oh, my! What is a system?” “ A system is a way of going broke mathematically; that is, by arith- metic."" “ And does it always work ?” “ Always,my boy—if you try it long enough.”" “Then why do you pay any atten- tion to the man with a system? "" “This time, Harold, I don’t know the answer. All I know is that you do.” “Then you lose again? “Say, pa, I'll bet the next time you start to nod according to your private judgment, you meet another man.” “You are a bright boy, Harold. You have hit the nail on the head.” “ And who is he?’” “He is a man who is in the busi- ness. He has spent his entire life in studying the horses, and he knows HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF MOSES IN THE“ BULL" RUSIIES, WHAT HAPPENS UPON EACH HERALDED ARRIVAL. which horse will most certainly win.”’ “But does he really, pa? Now, no joking.” “Yes, my boy, always! That is, except just this one particular, special time when he tells you how to nod." “Isn't that too bad? And you nod wrong again.”’ “Yes, Again.” ‘And then what do you do?”’ “Can't you guess? You are such a bright be “Let's see. I—Oh, yes, I know.” “Well, what?” “You walk home!" “Good! When you grow, my dear boy, you will be a regular Sherlock Holmes.” Tom Masson. Fanatical. ue "HE Fulanis fought with fanatical bravery. “Thirty chiefs, gathered about the Emir's great white flag, were defiant to the last, and their corpses were found hedging the standard.""—Press Dispatches. Just how fanatical the bravery of the Folanis was is made clear by Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, who rises in his place in Parliament to say that the discomfiture of these heathen has added one huridred thousand square miles to the domain of Merrie England. Unfit. [THE Railway King was farious. - Fire shot from his eyes and sul- phurous smoke poured from his nos- trils. “Dismiss him!’’ he roared. ‘ This is the second time that he has missed a good chance to insult the public. He hasn't the ability to be president of a coal road.” But just here a report of twenty people being killed in a collision was laid before the King, whereat he laughed gleefully and forgot much of his anger. Clothes. ‘THE Countess was gorgeous, but the Earl was rather shabblly dressed.—Account of the Yarmouths. It is true the cables quote peers dull and flabby. But the suggestion that arealearlcan be had for his board, saying nothing about clothes, is hardly to be entertained. HE man deceived at home deserves to be. “SAY, MISTER OPPICER, IY THIS YOUNG LADY ENGAGED TO TWO PELLERS AT ONCT, CAN'T SHE DE ARRESTED Pen BioaMY f" comicbooks.com