Judge, 1888-04-07 · page 6 of 17
Judge — April 7, 1888 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Judge magazine page satirizes Native Americans through grotesque racial caricatures and stereotypes common to 19th-century American humor. The title story, "The Revenge of Smiling Fire-Water," features characters with exaggerated "Indian" dialect ("Dar er mighty little pantomine in true 'ligion") depicted in crude sketches. The satire targets both Indigenous peoples and upper-class white women. "Old Chocolate's Target Practice" mocks a Black character's speech patterns. Other vignettes ridicule various groups: romantic mismatches, working-class conversations, and social pretension. The humor relies entirely on ethnic and racial caricature—exaggerated features, fractured dialect, and dehumanizing depictions. What Judge presents as witty social commentary reflects deeply racist attitudes normalized in the period. The "marmot" reference and animal comparisons further dehumanize the subjects. Modern readers should recognize this as historical racism masquerading as humor—exactly the prejudicial content such publications actively promoted.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JUDGE THE REVENGE OF SMILING FIRE-WATER; OR, THE INDIAN, THE SQUAW AND THE MARMOT. OLD CHOCOLATE’S TARGET +voce, to Miss Snifkins)—") conder PRACTICE why in the world my skirts keep slip RiiiiFaar ive sORiN war \ ping up so dreadfully and shox Ef yo" wantah be called a meddler, ; y, Mian Snifkine (who is offalvatlvice., ; ie and wears number sevens) Dar er mighty little pantomine . 3 Why, because you have small feet, of in true ‘ligion } = eouree.® De fun ob an ahguinent ends wen lists ahr doubled. ‘7 fe hn . ONE WAY OF DOING IT De nh praises ‘is codfish eugal fe Ina conked-meat shop. Ta ei yecon tachi . Narre s How much is that roast beet?” foundashen stone an al J Ey =m * Forty cents a pound chimbly top, : Me ees te 1 and the grav y top. : “Oh! we throw that in Hit offen “hapheria: de . : “Well! give mea dish de mnie “less de ann his: Ore wie Kennants— Heap goed mesticine ballet gaat ee aoa hee sde mone asin wuds ti ws, but de true frien’ am de one dat "note wen yo" wantah buy a mule, IT CHEERS BUT NOT INEBRIATES. nin powah lily in ‘sistin’ de man in need; an’ de Cheerful friend—*t old man! You're looking fri Lacts jis axin’ ‘sistance solema, Come over with me to Madison-square garden, [ve got a box Dar's no ‘musement dat a ed wid disappointment, an’ L Doleful friend (encunil nebbah knew a holiday dat didn’ hi sbittal minutes “What's the Wim hoein twell ways get a smile clowns, my boy. is a tumbler full of s; n't lay up vittles in yo" stam mick ez yo! wud hay ina mow, Wud . AL =e “| 2 yo . oo CONSTANCY. der yo! eat wie! iter no, yor ull be jis’ ez hungry Inconstant? No, dear; nought Fve dor nee ‘tween mee pts out tee refawm de wol an’ dat mistakes a railrond true! 7 B ‘ J Constant to love, if not to you foot-path am dis — : doan™ hab toe hunt fo" de 4 —A DEATH TO THE “AUTHOR OF THIS. remains. : Zz ; , : f RAS, ee Sardou will have to look to his lau rels prolific producer of ph TOO OBVIOUS SARCASM. td There is ark-row barber wie e a ‘ Hin mufted tomes) —"About qu Misx Frippens (lying becomingly —— gyeaite tasiness ins fret. atal Fillet pons eatel te time Ih on a mossy bank at rural pienie, soffo shaves you brings out 4 new | I) Swuuixo Frre-Water —* The daughter of big chief Seldon Afraid-of the-Keg knows: no files on her! Orr-mis-Kennasts—“Heap great hot rain? Waug-e-g-gh:" i comicbooks.com