Judge — January 16, 1892 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Wonder Is That There Are Not More Accidents" This 1892 *Judge* cartoon critiques railroad safety conditions. The skeletal figure represents Death, standing watch over an exhausted railroad worker slumped on a crate. A sign reading "The Great Boom Line" references railroad expansion during the 1880s-90s economic boom. Posted notices detail the worker's plight: "Dividends Increased," "Expenses Cut Down," "Overworked 18 Hours a Day," and "Poorly Paid." The satire argues that railroad companies prioritized profits over worker safety—cutting costs while demanding excessive labor from underpaid workers. The accompanying text explicitly blames "an inadequate force of men" handling freight increases, with poor workers unable to "neglect their duties." Death's presence suggests fatal consequences of this exploitative system.