Judge, 1891-11-21 · page 4 of 18
Judge — November 21, 1891 — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page collects brief satirical items typical of Judge's humor. The main cartoon, "At a Chicago Ball," mocks the fluidity of identity and marriage in the Gilded Age—a man encounters his ex-wife at a social event but claims not to recognize her, suggesting either deliberate coldness or that remarriage has made her identity uncertain to him. The surrounding "Hum of the Court" section contains short quips targeting contemporary figures: Parnell (Irish nationalist leader), Jerry Rusk (likely politician), Mrs. Maybrick (likely the famous murder case), and Irish political factions. One item references a Kansas newspaper editor named Peffer. The satirical approach is consistent: mocking politicians' incompetence, lampooning social pretension, and finding dark humor in current events. The cartoons use exaggerated illustration to reinforce the verbal jokes. The tone is irreverent toward authority and celebrates cynical worldview—typical of Judge's irreverent 1880s-90s sensibility.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
i —4 AT A CHICAGO BALL, De Porque—"' Will you introduce me to the blonde lady yonder?” Witearuxy —" With pleasures but—er, why, de Porque, she was your wife five or six years ago! De Porque —" I know it, old’ man; but [ feel some delicacy about speaking to her, for I have no idea what her name is now.¥ L'TTLE RUTH will be taught by her pa never to use words of less than three syllables. ETTER FIFTY YEARS of walking, as Mr. Tennyson might re- mark, than a bicycle of Mr. Martin. THE MAN to succeed Mr. Parnell must have a bob-tailed coat ; other- wise his‘outer garment will be hob-nailed into the mud. THE DROUTH in this section is due to John R, Fellows, who hasn't had a copious weep or a convulsive sob in several days. PEFFER'S PAPER, the Kansas Farmer, having been destroyed by fire, Peffer’s logical conclusion is that fuel must be abolished. ROLLIN M. SQUIRE is running a gambling-house. Rolly having been a “county” Democrat, it looks as if he had fallen shattered from Time's dial his pretty self. A RESPONSE, “Miss Dotty BLANK, Owego, N. Y.: The egg on which you printed I will marry the man what’ phinds this aig’ came to me. I've got to crawl. ‘The ‘aig’ was bad. Yours regretfully, Ourp Bran.” T MAY be true that Jerry Rusk goes to bed at nine o'clock, like the other farmers; but that is because he is fatigued by remaining up on the previous night and morning. MBS. MAYBRICK could have no abler champion than Gail Hamilton; but British law has such awe for its own dignity that it wouldn't reverse a decision to save its own life. HE ZEAL and energy with which the eighteen or twenty Irish parties in Ireland are punching each other's heads show that the cause of freedom and independence is looking up. HALF-COLUMN TRIBUTE to Mr. Flower, in allusion to his in- ability to make speeches, by St. Clair McKelway of the Brooklyn Eagle, was the best writing of the late campaign. BEAR in Arkansas was hugging a girl named Mary, when a girl named Julia shot the bear dead, Mary was so mad that she frothed at the mouth, and Mary and Julia have not spoken since. THE PAPER called 7he Doctor says it has lived five years and cleared & coneLuston: fifty thousand dollars’ worth of experience. Well, it ean congratu- Coorey (after the blow)—"*Aither thot bir-td has a car-shpring shtuck in late itself on one thing— it may not be much of a doctor, but it hasn't th’ neck av him or ilse he’s tough, Jamesey,’ killed any of its subscribers, comicbooks.com