Life, 1904-02-11 · page 7 of 20
Life — February 11, 1904 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct elements: **Top section**: A contest asking "Which is the meanest railroad in the United States?" The answer promotes the New York Central Railroad as "meanest"—employing this term as praise for deliberately harsh treatment of passengers and staff. The text boasts the railroad makes "the best kindling in the world" from accident-bearing cars and proudly describes its policy of treating engineers and workers as harshly as possible. **Bottom section**: Three limericks with accompanying caricatures satirizing social types—a woman considered physically undesirable, a drunken man ("Teuton"), and a "darky girl" employing ethnic stereotypes common to the era. The satire targets corporate cruelty and indifference toward worker and passenger safety, while the limericks reflect period attitudes toward appearance, ethnicity, and social class.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
WHICH YHEY say the Panama Canal is very hard on human life.”” “Yes. It’s killed Teddy already.” - LIBPE* Coxpitioss NP contrvution must exceed three hundred words tn length. In making the award of the prize brevity will be taken into consideration tors of Lire be the Judges of the he contributions, and their dectsion shall be tinal Contributions should have the name and address of the sender. Under no condition will they be re- turned. The competition will close March 15, 1904, and no contributions received after that date will be entitled to compete for the prize. Address all contributions to the Editor of Live, 17 West 31st Street, New York. Numper 3 In suggesting that the New York Cen- tral Railroad is the meanest railroad in the United States, I trust that Iam not guilty of tautology or circumlocution. The New York Central has a bigger advantage over other smaller roads, be- cause it has more money to be mean with. No one would say that it docs not make the most of this advantage. The New York Central has on its road- bed only accident-bearing cars. They make the best kindling in the world, I once carried a message to Garcia over the New York Central, and when I entered the train and was looked down on by the haughty conductor, I felt MABEL MIGGS HAS a STOLE AND A MUP SIT AWPELLY RUPP. WHEN SUE MEARS HER PRIENDS SAY, Three Limericks. THIS TEETON’S NOT SCARED OF A DRALGIT. ON THIS SUBJECT MOST PEOPLE ARE DavauT. ULL SIT UP QUITE NEAR Frage Ja IS THE MEANEST RAILROAD IN THE UNITED STATES ? like one of the lions in Daniels’s den. At one of the directors’ meetings of the New York Central it was su-gested that a soot plough be placed in each car, for use after emerging from the tunnel. Several directors fainted at the suggestion, andthe man who made it was promptly expelled. The policy of the New York Central is to pay its engineers as little as possi- ble, and make them work as hard as possible, and blame them for every- thing possible. The motto of the New York Central is this: dents must, and shall, happen on every ill-reguiated railroad.” The policy of the New York Central is always to consider the wants of the people, so they can be carefully avoided. __ UC. B. [3 every home the tranquil soul is the power. Wear and Tear. TPHE V ALET: I can't seem to keep that crease in your trousers, sir. FIpp.etos : Well, you know, James, heavy girl. DUP. Tie gy A DARKY GIRL ONCE WENT To VASHAT ONE COULD Pass UER. IP THE DRAUGHT 18 GOOD BEER, YOR MANY A DRAUGUT Has HE QUAGUT! AND SANSKRIT COULD SF RUT Sif ALWAYS SAID “Massa AND “Yassin!” AS SUE WALKS DOWN BROADW. “17 IS DRESSY, BUT 18 IT ENUY comicbooks.com