Judge — December 5, 1891 — page 29: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a satirical ten-panel narrative comic about "Farmer Evergreen," a prosperous farmer who leaves his old dog as a guard while he makes an unwise financial investment. The panels show the farmer departing (panels 1-3), the dog faithfully protecting the property (4-5), escalating chaos as the dog attacks intruders or threats (6-7), and the final catastrophe—apparently the investment fails and the farmer loses everything (8-10). The satire likely targets late-19th-century farmers who, flush with temporary prosperity, made speculative investments beyond their expertise while neglecting practical concerns. The dog's unwavering loyalty contrasts with the farmer's foolish financial decisions. The punchline suggests that blind faith in risky ventures, however prosperous one feels, leads to disaster.