Judge, 1883-04-21 · page 3 of 17
Judge — April 21, 1883 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes the author's visit to Central Park to see a newborn camel. The humor operates on multiple levels: **The Main Joke:** A Park employee mistakes the well-dressed, aesthete narrator for "the wild man of the Fourth Ward" and tries to cage him instead of the camel. The narrator responds by violently attacking the employee, then attempts to poison sea lions (who refuse because they're "Hebrews"). **The Social Satire:** The piece mocks both the narrator's pretentious "well-developed aesthetic" sensibility and the absurdity of urban zoo management. It criticizes the camel itself for lacking expected features (no hump, insufficient neck), treating the animal's inadequacy as amusing. **The Political Briefs:** Brief notices mention Mike McDonald's re-election as Chicago Mayor, Governor Butler's investigation into Tewksbury almshouse corruption, and Mayor Means of Cincinnati needing self-reform—typical Judge critiques of contemporary political figures. The cartoon's crude humor reflects 1880s attitudes toward both animals and working-class ("Fourth Ward") people.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE JUDGE. Cin How? a Hed Cimriay Ciftate~ 103 Cofititiog. nach. inetd ar eieesiae ay mare: AGANKING TAAPL VIEWING A YOUNG CAMEL. T west up to Central Park a few days 4 becanse I heard that a camel had been born. and I wanted to find out whether it w yas the full-blown members of its s ow T want it distinctly understood that I m a well-developed asthete nd, if T saw a ome camel, 1 sl jd be aware of the with exceeding great awareness. e may be handsome camels some- but they do not loiter aro ny of ries Which have come under my ¢ observation. subject of this sketch was born on March 31, 1883, and his first experience of arth was finding himself in a snow bank. submit with all due humility, not radiant such an experience for acamel. — ‘These birds in the habit of being born in warmer clime Park under a March st did not apy v naturally as nT arrived at Central Park, I found that the whole force of employes attached to rie had turned out to meet me. Two of them came forward and took my arms, gently guiding my into the arse There I saw a large empty, with its door open. T asked an employe , because I did not think a was so dangerous that it had to eps It’s for you,” he said. * For me!” I exclaimed. want it.” “Why, [don’t off your > going to put you in it.” | “Why, aren't you the wild man of the Fourth Ward Not that I know of.” Then the villain explained to me that he was expecting that celebrated curiosity and had mi n me for him. I said nothin; but after T had ned him by exhibiting my 1, I took him gently to one side, carved him up into small pieces and offered him to the sea lions, They told me, however. that they were Hebrews and n ate hams. Then a Park policeman ca along and wanted to arrest me for trying to poison the animal I pacified the irate officer and then went to look at the young camel. He was built very much like a camp meet- ing ice cream booth—four uprights with an awning on top. ‘There was a careless w of pont that a supernatural distress. It pained me to sce so small and comparatively useless an animal occupying so elevated a ion. He had no hump, either. I knew that every well regulated’ camel had a hump, Is grieved to sce that this innocent beast hi a hump was one of the mel gained by experionce. of life compel a cam himself with an earnestne throughout his stay in this v hump asts him Another omission in this voung thing wa Everyone has noticed that camels have so much neck t they have to fold the blamed thing up so as to keep their heads in the same county as their bodies. Bartley, j * replied the greatest of all the Campbell he has Ingeed into his mam wints—told me that the camel always developed | long neck is one of the thin camel feel satisfied with one d days. Thave been thinking ev it would be 1 thing for the if men were built more like eam W. J. HENDERSON at makes a nk every few since that human race Mike MeDoxaLp Mayor of Chicago. has been re-elected Ex-Gov, Wittiam Spracur, of Rhode Island, proves not to be another Butler. Paestpest Anrien’s of appointment Jue of Ind the P universal satisfactic mast g Goverxon Burien rapidly distancing inthe mat- notoriety. He is poble work in his investigation of the ewksbury obtaining public perpetrated in the alms-house. Mayor Means, of Cincinnati, form the pent in that ing from his encounter in the Due orth Club the other evening, he should now un- dertake to reform himself. ago undert and places of a Judg- comicbooks.com