Life, 1927-10-13 · page 18 of 44
Life — October 13, 1927 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical illustration depicts two figures in 1890s attire on urban steps. The caption explains the cartoon's subject: police officers of that era who were supposedly more concerned with fighting each other and pursuing minor duties than maintaining actual law and order. The text suggests these "helmeted, club-twirling guardians" spent their time "bumping each other" rather than preventing serious crime, and found it easier to report minor infractions (like keeping servant girls employed) than addressing significant wrongdoing. The satire critiques police incompetence and misplaced priorities during the 1890s—poking fun at the period's law enforcement for theatrical posturing over substantive public safety work. The artist's signature appears in the lower left corner.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Gay Nineties THE MELMETED, CLUB-TWIRLING GUARDIAN OF THE PEACE IN THE NINETIES UPHELD LAW AND ORDER MUCH BETTER THAN Ie DID HS sTOMAEN DAYS GUNMEN CONFINED THEIR TALENTS WUT IN THOSE PEACEFUL ALMOST ENTIRELY TO BUMPING BACHE OTHER OF \ MINION OF THE LAW SELDOM DEMANDED ANYTIUING MORE STRENUOUS THAN REPORTING AN OCCASIONAL DEAD HORSE AND KEEPING TIE SERVANT GIRLS ALONG MIS BEAT CONTENTED WITH TILEIR JOBS. A Gripping Tale of the West S the owner of Levine's Last Hope strode to the shaft-head, excitement was rife. Summoning his foreman, he said: “Right, hell; it’s puffect. Them greasers cleaned th’ whole vein bang, spang out.” “Wa-al,” drawled the boss,"that’s a lode off my mine!” thin’ tells me su'thin’ ain't jest right, Ed. It kind of bears down on me, kind of.” A NEW phonograph record is so elastic that it can “By hokey, boss,” said the foreman, “greaser varmints — + be bent double, thrown to the floor, and otherwise got into the Last Hope last night and cleaned all th’ — mistreated. There is no truth in the report that it was gold out of Vein Na, 2. invented by the person who wrote “In a Little Spanish “Is that right, Ed—you sure that’s right?” Town.” comicbooks.com