Judge, 1887-11-19 · page 6 of 16
Judge — November 19, 1887 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from the satirical magazine *Judge* contains several unrelated humorous sketches typical of late 19th-century American humor. **"Made to Sell"** is a poem mocking cheap, fraudulent merchandise and corrupt public figures. It references specific scandals: "Jake Sharp" (likely a corrupt politician), "West Brighton crooks," and "Young Ives" (appears to reference real criminal figures of the era), lumping them with worthless goods as things "made to sell"—suggesting corruption and fraud are commodities. **"A Champion Indeed"** jokes about a coal-dealer claiming to be a "champion light weight"—a pun on athletic competition versus his actual profession. **Other sketches** include a book agent selling large Bibles for pressing autumn leaves, a masquerade where someone is identified by their habit of mixing gin with bitters, and a country cousin comparing debutantes to waddling geese. **"Gravity"** offers wordplay definitions (owl=grave bird, oyster=grave fish, fool=grave man). The page exemplifies *Judge*'s mix of social satire, puns, and contemporary scandal references aimed at educated urban readers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
R, dottar blue suits, | * Cheap brown paper boots, |The watch that the time will not tell, * busts, Silver spoons that will rust, of them made to sell, Chairs that Straw hats sewed wii Cologne that has nary a st Umbrellas that melt, Dollar derbys of felt (4), They are all of them made to sell. The fellow that hooks, The West Brighton crooks, Jake Sharp, whom we all know quite well: Young Ives and his crew, The police-clubber, too, They are all of them made to cell. Lin two, A CHAMPION INDEED. City merchant-—" Do the people in your town take interest in athletics, Mr. Brown (” Mr. Brown (a coal-dealer) —** Oh, yes.” City merchant— leties do you follow ?” Mr. Brown (unconsciously)—"* 1 am the champion light weight.” What branch of ath- THE ONE THING NEEDFUL. Book agent—“I have some fine large family bibles, mum, ['d like to show you. Young woman—" Never mind about the print; if they're big enough to press the aw tumn leaves I'll take one.” AT THE MASQUERADE, Manocensre.(Mre, Sicard>- I enjoyed the waltz exceedingly, Tom.” Marnusrornctss (Mr. Sicard) -" How did you know me, Ethel” Isn-tmy disguise good {t you must remember that you are the only man iv jerry and bitters Manavenite— Excellent, Ton the world who mixes gin with his A PRIVATE VIEW. ‘Twas a painting of some pretty Hindoo That had brought us by chance there together, Side by side in the gloomy fall weather, On the outside of Schaus’s street window. Something gave me a feeling like fainting; ‘Twas, perhaps, that I feared her detection, For win the window's reflection What was fairer by far than the painting. C.-M. CRANDALL, GRAVITY. The gravest bird is an owl; the gravest animal is a ; the gravest fish is an oyster, which openeth not its mouth, and the gravest man is generally a—fool, PROBABLY HE WAS RIGHT. Hostess (to country cousin, who has come to tonen ta attend a reception) * Well. Josh, what d Jos (laughing)—" I can't help a lan’ at them—they remind me so much of my flock of geese w 1 think of the Grand March n they*re a-waddlin’ down ter ther pond fur a drink comicbooks.com ’