Life, 1905-03-09 · page 16 of 22
Life — March 9, 1905 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a humorous short story illustrated with a cartoon, surrounded by period advertisements. **The Main Story/Cartoon:** The narrative concerns a farmer who encounters a stubborn mule on a country road. The animal balks halfway to town, and when the frustrated farmer tries to move it, the mule "squeezed it and squeezed it"—apparently on the farmer's hand or arm. The mule then bolts home, causing panic among the farm animals (chickens, cows, pigs scatter in fear). **The Satire:** The joke relies on rural/pastoral humor common to early 20th-century American magazines—depicting farmers as comically incompetent when dealing with livestock. The mule's stubborn resistance to human control and the cascading chaos it causes is presented as absurd comedy. **Historical Context:** The advertisements (Wilson Whiskey, Evans' Ale, Esterbrook Steel Pens) and the Lake Shore Limited train reference date this to the early 1900s. The rural setting contrasts with advertising for urban goods and transportation, reflecting America's transition from agrarian to modern industrial society.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
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