Life — January 28, 1904 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Life" Magazine Page 79 Analysis This page contains three satirical pieces from *Life* magazine (a humor publication, not the photo magazine): 1. **Top cartoon**: A man confronts a bear over a log, captioned as "Voice of Guide in Distance: 'What's keepin' yer? Got a bar?'" — mocking outdoor guides and their supposed bear encounters. 2. **"Barnyard Wisdom"**: A poem where a rooster boasts about his knowledge and ability to influence farmers' fortunes—satirizing self-important, bloviating figures who overestimate their influence. 3. **"Overheard at the White House"**: A brief dialogue mocking a Secretary of State's response to Panama Canal business concerns, comparing America's position to being "in f'r a dig, as the ancients used to say"—suggesting diplomatic evasiveness about colonial expansion. The page represents early 20th-century American political and social satire.