Life, 1905-05-25 · page 19 of 26
Life — May 25, 1905 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several brief satirical jokes typical of early 20th-century American humor: **"Tips"** criticizes the San Francisco practice of mandatory tipping at restaurants and service establishments. The satire suggests this has become so normalized that it will eventually extend to all transactions—streetcar conductors, grocery delivery men, etc.—making it indistinguishable from extortion or bribery. **"All Off"** jokes about broken engagements: a man loses his fiancée after she overhears him disapproving of wedding gifts. **"A Sad Blunder"** features doctors discussing a prescription error that paradoxically benefits the patient by actually curing him. **"Revised Quotation"** mocks wealth inequality by modifying the famous Burns poem line about human cruelty to suggest "millionaires" instead of "man." **"An Explanation"** contains a dig at British imperialism: an Englishman boasts the sun never sets on British possessions; Miss America responds that God simply doesn't trust the English after dark.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
(= Tips. RYBODY wh his own home may be interested ever eats out of All honor to W! passed a bill be It prov estaurant, hotel or sin! Its Legislature has is just the th +s for fine and imprison- sy drastic her waiters who de- ies that paid to serve guests; that th s¢ provision law prese des whatever is 0 ands of accepts a and shoul: Moreover, if a gues “hold up man” prison to pay oF does he waiter for se ble to prosecu- tion for committing a criminal act, Bribery, to be sure. You are bribing the waiter to serve you better other mar wh anticipated bribe is less attra ive than eC This form of grafting has become so much of a fixture in San Francisco that in the rear future the clerk whe to be “tippe grocer's delivery man will have to be “seen be- fore he will let you have your purchase, and so on hands you your purchase will have * before getting your goods; the down to the street-car conductor and motorman, who will demand “something for stopping the cas for you. A melancholy Americans do move rapidly when once prospect, but we started All Off. " [HEAR Molly has broken her en- agement." “Yes. George was foolish enough to let her hear him telling his friends that he didn’t approve of wedding presents.” T'S true that morality has nothing to do with art, but the people who insist on this most the fact that immor to do with it, either, rongly overlook y has nothing A Sad Blunder. IRST DOCTOR: I'vemade a mis- take and left old Gotrox the wrong prescription! Secoxp Doctor: Is it serious? “ Very; why, that medicine will cure him in less than a week.” Revised Quotation. RATOR: ‘Man's inhumanity to man makes countless mill—mill—” Avpitor : Millionaires ! “THAT FELLOW JASON MUST A VERY TROUBLED EXISTENCE.” ow so?” “HE SPENT SO MUCH TIME HUNTING FOR THE GOLDEN FLEAS.” HAVE Lep An Explanation. OASTFUL ENGLISHMAN: The sun never sets on English posses- sions. Miss America: Yes, we know God can’t trust an Englishman after dark. comicbooks.com