Judge, 1883-04-07 · page 4 of 16
Judge — April 7, 1883 — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Circus Press Agent" This is a humorous story about Mr. Levi, a Jewish capitalist who loses money lending to a failing wild beast show. Unable to recover his investment through conventional means, he partners with his brother-in-law Cohen to hire a young newspaper reporter as a "press agent" to drum up publicity. The satire targets two things: the exaggerated advertising claims of circus promoters (the absurd advertisement for the "Educated Kangaroo" and other fabricated attractions), and the desperation of circus owners to manufacture interest through press manipulation. The Yiddish-accented dialogue between Levi and Cohen—a common comedic device in Judge—reflects period stereotypes about Jewish businessmen, though the story itself portrays them as clever operators rather than villains. The page also includes a small sidebar about an Irish political threat, typical of Judge's varied content.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
SS Se ee ee eee Goon Litter Boy—(W ho has been taken to will she be an angel 2" Farnen—(Benignantly)—* Ves, my son.” L. Bo And sill she float through space picture startles the fond parent, and he is silent.) THE CIRCUS PRESS AGENT. BY BK TEN RYER. Mr. Levit had become owner of amen rie. Mr. Levi's real business is that of a eapi- talist, and chance so willed it that he lent al certain sum of money (amount not publicly known) upon a wild beast show, the pecuni- cured by a first mort- Low Was not a success. unsophisticated fa and Mr. Levi with reg ppeared to be Hardly a third of th advanced could he obta t hid, g a man who telegraphed afterwards that he was slightly delirious when he made it, and would like to reconsider the offer. So Mr. Levi conferred with a friend of ne (he was Mr, Levi's brother-in-l fonay he was also Me. Lovi's friend) named Cohen. Vat I vill do, Isaac, I vos not don’t fi oud. Town dot vild peasts show, but vher vill T, or how vill I my monish pack? Auf id vos diamonds, | could pawn them, but who would lend a benny ubon vild r. Cohen puffed away on his mein poy, it vos easy suflicient, de vild ‘peast busness vos a for- tune. Beoples hafe made monish a good deal. or oxample an_Ampurgh, Fore- pangh, und F . Lookit Parnum. S‘elp mie, he os mate a mayor, Levi? Dakit the advice I vos gif you aa vun anf If Vat is id “Ran id yourselef und——” (Here Mr. Cohen hesitated.) ORNADO OF Cosaxe! Comtxe! Cosine ‘The Greatest ion of the Phenomenons of 1 Life Levi & Comey’s Covossat Commixation Their Great Antipodean and Healthful Wild Beast Show. Led by the Celebrated ) of their Species, For whom the Proprietors three million dol lars to the Queen of THE EDUCATED KANGAROO! ‘The only one in this Hemisphere who can ¢ food in six different languages, and also play ers with any living foe Five Tuovsaxp Dotans! (85,0009 Five Tres axp Doutans! other wild beast or menagerie show propric who can produce a Royal Siamese Jackass equal to (the Jackass Mulligan, who has alr kicked three keepers to death—a sight of whom is alone worth double the price of admisst A Wartmxe, Wricoixe Sea | A Myniap or Moxxrys! | Ax Uxscrpassen Avianyt | The Ten Thousand Dollar Ostrich which took the first medal at the Melbourne, Australia, World's amoral show)- yp. wwhen that woman dies, (r) There was some more, but Mr. Levi rea no 0 fart er. J e ° young man’s ejaculate “you mm with nothing but a parr of wings?” Vell ? “T vill go halef auf you anf bartnership satis Plainly Mr. Levi must have » newspaper notices of Le er \ntipodean and Healthful Wild Beast pation is one of the most flourishing Show, red. . upon the road, ‘The young man is a alte scene changes to Me. Levi's private partner. stright I von’ *k und bay your own dravelling ox- t, Mr. Levi and a young man. Ir Deacon Richard Smith is really the < its you who answered dot adverd truly good man that he claims to be, it is ment auf mien for a bres agent, also a bro: hoyend us how he has managed to make g ol ked Mr. Levi success of journalism ina city like Cinein- ame the reply. hat oxberienced py writing some Ir doesn’t take a Northern invalid: very The young man drew himself proudly up. Tiguesslan well emongh ta a “For five years, sir, I have been a reporter | home this upon the New York Herald.” he answered. ‘ “Dake a chair,” nttered Mr. Levi: © vould not be Tvant. [vill let you py as The young man accepted the ; He waited for further developments. A semper of Irish Invineibles have been detected scattering banana peelings in the vicinity of the British House of Parliament. was the response. eats you vasn’t engaged, give us “Den I dells you I vos dake a liking to you anyvay, for you lookit like a friend auf | mein who kept a glothing store py adr nd vos fined ten dollars for k oben auf a Sunda: Allauf our vild p show vos a von-eyed kangaroo, a gouple auf homesick monkeys, a den auf snakes, a shack- ass, an elephant mid der gonsumption, three parrots and an ostrich; now, shoost sit down und write an advertisement py dem—dere ¥os paper py sour hant.” young man went to work. Derby All was still for about five minutes. Brus. —* Fbovght this tite to mpersede it, A fellow ‘Then he handed the following to Mr. Levi: | aleays lonks renpectable in a ilk hat.” Syon.—" Sry, Bill, what hore yon done veith your comicbooks.com