Judge — September 17, 1887 — page 19: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Judge magazine cartoon satirizes a meeting in Minneapolis regarding railroad safety. The left panel shows well-dressed men (likely railroad executives and politicians) in discussion, while the right panel depicts two workers operating what appears to be a dangerous coupling device near a memorial marked "IN MEMORIAM" with a crossed wrench and hammer. The satire criticizes the "deadly link and pin"—a railroad coupling system responsible for numerous worker injuries and deaths. The contrasting imagery—comfortable executives on one side, dead workers memorialized on the other—highlights the human cost of unsafe industrial practices. The cartoon advocates for abandoning this dangerous technology in favor of safer alternatives. The named individuals appear to be Minneapolis civic or railroad figures involved in this safety debate, though specific identities require verification.