Life, 1906-09-06 · page 19 of 40
Life — September 6, 1906 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The cartoon depicts Columbus's arrival, but the accompanying text uses it as a springboard for satirical commentary on contemporary figures and events, not Columbus himself. The piece mocks **Dr. Parkhurst**, a real reform figure, claiming he once believed New York was "lost" (an optical illusion), with jabs at his poor eyesight. It then satirizes the **limerick** as Columbus's invention, attributing one to him mocking Brooklyn preacher **Henry Ward Beecher**. The second section shifts to **Paul Stensland**, president of Milwaukee Avenue State Bank in Chicago, whose recent embezzlement scandal had shocked the city. Life's satire here is biting: it "praises" Stensland's "thorough rascality" and "methodical" theft of depositors' funds, noting he absconded with the money and remains at large. The dark humor suggests that while such complete criminals are rare, they're almost admirable for their competence—a sharp critique of both his crimes and the scandal's impact.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE LANDING OF COLUMBUS that he may have been Hoist by his own petard) and ex- clusively for the Choinal, is something of a m ‘Americahas beenon the map continuously time. Dr. Parkhurst claimed, one spell, that New York was lost, and New York is, to all intents and purposes, America, and while considerable alarm was felt at the time, it is now believed that the Doctor was the victim of an optical illusion. Dr. Parkhurst’s eyesight, by the way, has never been all his friends could wish. It is said that he can’t see his finish, even in retrospect. Columbus was nothing if not resourceful. Not only did he cleverly conceive that the world was round, but he knew many tricks with eggs. For example, on one occasion, when his crew were very much cast down, he composed and recited these famous lines: “In Brooklyn, an cloquent preacher Said: ‘The hen is a beautiful creature!” And the hen, hearing that, Laid an egg in his hat, And thus did the hen reward Beecher.” This was the first usc, upon any great historic occasion, of the limerick. The old belief that limericks were employed ét the siege of Constantinople has been exploded by later discoveries. The next great limerick was the one about the old monk in Siberia, which Henry VIII. had written in 1542 to show how he felt about the monastic system and to prepare public sentiment for the spoliation of the monasteries, Chicago's Complete Rogue TH contemplation of a completed work makes for tran- quillity of mind. It is restful to dwell upon a finished course in which were no omissions and nothing left to be doi For example, let the mind alight on the exploits, lately dis- closed, of Paul Stensland, president of Milwaukee Avenue State Bank of Chicago. For methodical and thorough rascality Mr. Stensland measures up to the very best standards. Work- ing over a protracted period, he was able to divert to his uses a truly wonderful proportion of his bank’s funds, and to amuse himself at the same time with various sports and hazards after banking hours. His daughter says she left home bec: of the female companions whom her father installed in his house. Finally, just before the bubble broke at the bank, Mr. Stens- land faded out of sight with a last haul of loot, and is at this writing still unapprehended. Some of the bank’s depositors have gone crazy, and others are much perturbed. It is too bad. Consummate scoundrels are rare, and ought to be appreciated and enjoyed, even by persons who lose by them.