Life, 1904-04-28 · page 8 of 20
Life — April 28, 1904 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main illustration depicts a tall bearded man in a top hat and long coat leading a group of children in various ethnic costumes—appearing to reference different nationalities and cultures. The caption identifies this as "Mormon Elder-Berry—Out with his Sixteen-Olds, Who Take After Their Mothers." This is satirical commentary on Mormon polygamy and the practice of multiple wives producing many children. The "Elder-Berry" pun mocks both the LDS church hierarchy ("Elder") and suggests proliferation ("berry"). The children's diverse appearances satirize concerns about mixed-race offspring from polygamous unions, a common prejudicial trope of the era used to criticize the Mormon faith. The page also contains society gossip columns unrelated to the cartoon.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
MORMON ELDER-RERRY- UT WITH MIS SIN-YEAR-OLDS, WHO TAKE AFTER THEIR MOTHERS, The Deadly Parallel Column. IN CHILLICOTHE. Lrom the Chitticoche (Itl.) Bus HE ladies of the M. FE. Church are holding a bazaar in the Bradley ‘ilding Walter McAlister, who has jously ill for the past six weeks, is been now slowly improving. B, M.M > from and spent Sun- Mr. Mrs. and wife came ng cards in all the latest styles Call it Bulletin office. ord Warne’ zest of Miss of La Harpe, Flo Hart for sev- or Chicago, w the day sightseeing. Miss Flo Hart entertained her Sun- day school class Wednesday and Miss ( position > Brower has acc s millinery st ny of her Chillicothe r they come to Peoria call and see her. IN NEW YORK. From the New York Times. R. AND MRS. ALFRED VAN- DERBILT arrived in New York yesterday. Colonel John Jacob Astor and Mrs. Astor have arranged to sail on Friday. It is said that they are to be abroad the entire summer. Mr. and Mrs. Henry R. Clews will give a dinner on May 11. pass the s ‘They will Newport. and her daughter, Miss Gladys Vanderbilt, will sail May 5 They will remain abroad nd tea 5 rnoon at her residence, 3 Avenue, for Mme, Bressler- Amor who w , ete., ete. Company. those present wi The wedding of Miss Pauline Whit- tier and Ernest Iselin will be the prin- event of to- The pre- liminary arrangements have been given from time to time in this column, Meanest Railroad Contest. NUMBER 16, TT only road in the world meaner than ' ie is in Russia, The histe neration of this thou- sand miles of meanness, which begits in Je sey City and gets worse all the way, explains its unenviable distinction of total de Originally planned to compete with the fast boats of the Erie Canal, and never having been able to maintain the speed or comfort of rs of this road vindictive. A broken<down freight with six stalled pa: ger trains behind it fills an Er with unholy glee. cal deg uvity., a canal boat, the stockholé have become pusillanimous and official This road bas enough wrecks in one month to put it into the hands of a receiver, but no one will receive it, An ago Stockyard Special has the right of way over everything, on the road, and is habitually halted alongside the passe trains, so the occupants of the stock cars can see how much t If Sherman had ever been an Erie ¢ he would have incorporated this road in his ey have to be thankful for. mmuter definition of war The Erie tim nection with able has no appare ic trains, They also adver- posits of bitum sewer-pipe tise that “vast s coal, oil, natural gas and other resources exist on the line,” and this, with the fact that the road traverses vile zes of such rural suggestiveness as Sparrow Bush, Hiawatha, Horseheads, Big Flats and Painted Post, gives the passengers a trip where ‘every prospect pleases and only the Erie is vile.” The hard seats and the soft comicbooks.com