Judge, 1885-06-20 · page 5 of 16
Judge — June 20, 1885 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Judge* satirizes the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' convention at Atlantic City in May 1885. The top cartoon depicts a drunken engineer's fever dream after the "merry meeting"—showing him in bed surrounded by surreal mechanical and nautical imagery, mocking the engineers' revelry. The "OFF THE BENCH" section contains brief satirical quips about contemporary issues: alcoholism, fashion, and wheat prices. References to Afghanistan being "ceded to Russia" and Illinois's water quality appear to be topical political jabs. The bottom cartoon is a "fac-simile" (fake ancient relief) depicting a humorous "happy excursion"—likely a comedic commentary on the engineers' actual activities or pretensions. Overall, the satire ridicules engineers as drunken revelers and suggests their meeting was more about indulgence than serious professional work.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A MID-SUMMER NIGHTS DREAM OF A MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS, AFTER A MERRY MEETING AT ATLANTIC CITY, MAY 23TH OFF THE BENCH. course, to readiness for starting and not to | tremendons shortage, and the price of the dating of bills. vheat declines accordingly. AN INPALLIBLE cure for aleoholism— means . _ jee at declines aecarsl ingly | Take water. Jump off the Brooklyn Bridge. _ ! Afghanistan has been ceded + Tuttsors has more navigable water than || Asroumnwny beerjetkerta: wotsw wor: (% Th many ats in this | any other State in the Union.” And less | | country that we would like to cede to Russia drinkable water. chant-prince, but he makes all his money by re" | or sced down to in some vast wilderness, — barg “Tow shall woman dress?” is the im- _ f nted the whole edition fire red. A portant question raised by a fashion paper. | Rerorts and estimates on the coming change of color was not nec ry to get the Suppose we on time—referring, of | wheat crop are coming in. They show a Times read. _ somewhere. Tue Troy Daily Times on Decoration | | A FAC-SIMILE OF A BASSO-RELIEF, DISCOVERED BY THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS, AT ATLANTIC CITY, MAY 277TH, 1585. comicbooks.com