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Life, 1906-03-08 · page 8 of 32

Life — March 8, 1906 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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Life — March 8, 1906 — page 8: Life, 1906-03-08

What you’re looking at

This page satirizes a moral panic over young men wearing silk hats and frock coats in suburban areas. The left column reports various incidents from towns like Tarrytown, Orange, and Montclair, where silk hat-wearing young men allegedly caused disturbances—one arrested after pushing a baby carriage, others drawing church mobs. The cartoon (bottom right) depicts a man holding a sign welcoming "Satan" to Hell, with flames and demons, ironically suggesting silk hats represent evil incarnate to suburban moralists. The satire targets bourgeois anxiety about fashion and class markers. The outfit itself becomes the "crime," implying that suburbs were policing not actual criminal behavior but threatening displays of urban sophistication or different social status among young men.

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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

308 -LIFE- The Silk Hat in the Suburbs. Life’s Society for Its Suppression. ALL PERSONS WISHING TO JOIN THIS ADMIR. PLEASE & CAUSE WILL IMMUNICATE, WITH THIS OFFICE, THe practice of young men, both married and single, wearing silk hats in the sub- urbs, is spreading to an alarming extent and some organized effort should be made to check it. Re- ports from surrounding districts fol- low Tarrytown, N. Y., March 3d Several young men have been seen in this vicinity lately with silk bats and frock coats. A meeting of the town council presided over by the shade of Washington Irving was held, and a system of fines inaugu- rated. Orance, N. J., March 3d.—This morning a young mar- ried man was seen going down Main Street behind a baby carriag He was wearing a silk hat and frock coat. An officer arrested him promptly and he is now in jail pending trial. The baby escaped. Montcvaik, March yth.—As the first Presbyterian Church let out to-day, a mob surrounded three young bride- grooms, who wore silk hats, frock coats and gold-headed canes. Had it not been for the prompt intervention of the authorities, curred. tragedy would have oc- Hereafter the following sys- of fines will prevail Plain silk hat and overcoat, $10 Silk hat and frock coat, $25 Silk hat, frock coat and gold-headed cane, all worn or carried together $50 Same, behind a baby car- riage, $100 and thirty days in the county’ jail. It is sincerely hoped that these severe measures will mitigate this evil in our God-fearing communit Fiusiixc, N. Y., March 3d.—The silk hat law went into effect to-day Several went to church in silk hats but they pleaded ignorance and were let off with a warning. Sunday was vei quiet, public opinion not being full aroused. It is hoped, however, th next Sunday there will be no offenders, as much disorder might prevail. Staten Istanxp, March 3d.—Reports from the interior indicate a great fall- ing off in silk hats during Sunday. Sermons were preached in churches on passing the hat, and it is hoped that the new law will go into effect without bloodshed. PLAINFIELD, March 4th.—Much opposition to the silk hat law has developed here. A bridegroom club and dry goods association have been formed, the members insisting that they will still cling to the time-honored custom of silk hat and frock coat. A movement to exile them to Newark is in order. Ad Astra. ‘] HAVE found,” says Dr. H.W. Wiley, chief of the Chemistry Bureau of the Department of Agriculture, “that the foods we daily consume ht with germ life of a harmful nature, that | am almost afraid to go to the table. are $0 fray A little more of patient research and Dr, Wiley will be, not almost, but quite afraid, A little more of faithful dissemination of bulletins of the Bureau of Chemistry, and the public at large will be, in a like manner, weaned from the fleshpots, And thereupon, at last, we shall rise to the simple yy without which true national greatness is impossible. uch as there is nothing real in life but its illusions, sensible people will be glad to know a great many things which are not so, and in this view of the case the belief is bound to spread that the ists in the employ of the Government are worth all they cost. APROPOS of the distinction between an amateur and a professional, is a man a professional if he mar- ries for money? MS magesty SATAN wiswne ro WONKA Lasy Pind TAV0%, accoms poe Bat) You a ace mss ff 10 tHe mores SORWER Iw Yue. AECION ace. PANIED ay tne | SNAPSHOTS IN HADES. ANRIVAL OF THR MAN WMO CONTINUALLY ACCRITS PAVOKS BUT NEVER RENDERS ANY HIMSELF