Judge, 1888-02-25 · page 6 of 16
Judge — February 25, 1888 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page collects brief satirical vignettes typical of 1890s American humor magazines. Key pieces include: **"Hard Luck"**: A tramp complains to a farmer that he'd be rich if born with six toes—he could have displayed himself in a dime museum. The satire mocks both poverty and the era's exploitative "freak shows." **"Both Useful and Ornamental"**: A jeweler assures a customer that a young woman's wooden leg is made of fine ebony. This satirizes Victorian attitudes toward disabled people and absurd aesthetic justifications. **"Worse Than Death"**: A sheriff notes that a horse-thief—supposedly a friend of workingmen—groans upon hearing the lynching party disbanded, preferring death to two years' hard labor. This darkly satirizes labor conditions and mob violence. **"The Automatic Umbrella Tragedy"**: Sequential panels show an umbrella that springs open violently, injuring a young woman. The humor derives from the era's proliferation of unreliable mechanical gadgets. Other brief jokes address matrimonial agencies, cigars, painting prices, and provincial fashion—standard fodder for Judge's genteel readership.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
SOUDGE MY CHOICE. ALIS, Hi, many a lad goes a sighing, And vows that of love he ix dying : \. Gay xla: } res are sent. vet flatteries spent, ‘And all Cupid rows io thy But the only lad tha win Is the laughing lad with the dimpled HARD LUCK. Tramp—" Mister, can’t you help a poor hh dispensation of Providence * Poor fellow! What isthe amp—"1E the Lond had only let me be born with six toes [could ha my fortune ina dime museum —but he did't.” BOTH USEFUL AND ORNAMENTAL. Ata matris “should you,” remarks the the establishment toa patron, “that this young lady wears a Weeden leg an mamage nd heavens!” But Tassure you that it’s a done one—made of ebony.” every WORSE THAN DEATH. Jailor —" That hoss-thief must be sort 0° social refer friend 0° the workingmen ” Sheriff What makes you think dailor— Why, when L told hin just now that we had driven off the Lynching party he yroaned, and says he, "T s'pose Tin atutck for two yearsat hard labor now This is worse'n death to the weed, La! Winow Srankiis (referring to hat) Pafec’ traf am: gittin’ se sea’ce dat 1 can't tell hit Com see hit, a cross-cut saw wen I Deauer—" By simply pressing this spring You see the umbrella opens of its own accord.” At &. with brown eves with bold hearts down th lots of tin : lad with the Unacarrctixa axp tinesTy New Youxen (traceling i Maine’ cket-piator > 1 pad aratcen the article ha Walid an man who is: suffering THEIR MEANINGS CLASHED. Winowen Cureory referring te cigars L hope yon don't object tin the least now, but of partied Syne Cluedup, wher ne you'll gave it up after we are had smoked for forty years, began te hyure the coat of a breach of promise anit THE AUTOMATIC UMBRELLA TRAGEDY. Magnum girls break her all up: Ma, Newrapp—" Here comes one of the for a bow that'll PRETTY WELL HEELED. Excise ine. sie: do Wan’ ter use it + Temeant a flask.” u 1 ‘wean what we calla bypeatermicinapirator. I've Rot one, tat kat A THRIFTY PURCHASER. Jones was calling on ist at his studio, = What are you painting there ¢ nd the price 2° ight hundred dollars.” But if you only put in one Ajax?” IN A KANSAS TOWN Tourist from Boston—" Aw. Un sur piwised, weally, to meet so many enlehawed eout here in Topeki: but sw ftshall rive vewy mawked preovineial air about then New York trave 3 they © That's natural arly all old) Beston NOT ANY IN HERS. A member of the A ences was seated next to young lady at dinner. Do you like eth Pe ¥ thiseven a fashion "pe am wun ts dat stays in “‘twell he dun pile ‘js wahdrobe but ‘is un‘nerclo’, stick to he does de disrobin’. And it was eminently snccessfi! comicbooks.com