Judge — 1891 — page 54: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page from *Judge* magazine contains several satirical cartoons: **"An Apposition of Sizes"** contrasts a small stranger seeking to sell poetry to a large editor with a huge man towering over children at a newspaper office—satirizing scale and proportion in publishing. **"The Hatchet Not Buried"** depicts two Civil War veterans (Union and Confederate) who recognize each other from a specific battle (Gaines's Mill). The humor lies in their unexpected reunion: one shot the other through the ear decades ago, and the victim has apparently been searching for his shooter all these years, greeting him with mock aggression ("mink-hearted buzzard"). This satirizes the lingering resentments and personal grudges from the Civil War, suggesting old wounds—literal and figurative—weren't truly healed despite official reconciliation efforts. **"The 'Exclusive' Cigar-Holder"** shows a device designed to redirect cigar smoke away from the smoker's face—a humorous commentary on absurd consumer inventions and bourgeois vanity. The overall tone reflects *Judge*'s satirical approach to American social and political issues of its era.