Judge, 1892-12-31 · page 16 of 19
Judge — December 31, 1892 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily an advertisement for a "Missing Word Contest" sponsored by *Frank Leslie's Weekly*. Rather than satire, it's a promotional scheme modeled on popular English contests then gaining attention. The contest works as a lottery: participants pay 25 cents, guess a missing word from a printed paragraph (about an amphitheater incident), and the entrance fees are divided equally among those who guess correctly. The text references a London contest that generated $53,500 split among 114 winners—roughly $470 each. The paragraph itself appears mundane—describing an excited crowd and gunfire—with the missing word deliberately withheld until after entries close February 1st. This ensures the outcome cannot be predicted. The appeal is clear: for a quarter, readers could win substantial money if few others guessed correctly. It's a gambling mechanism disguised as a literary puzzle, exploiting public fascination with chance and prize-winning.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Season, the Publishers of A Literary Contest. %% To assist in enlivening the Holiday Frank Leslie’s Weekly have concluded to inaugurate in America the latest English fashion : THE MISSING WorD CONTEST. These amusing contests are now quite the rage in London, and we have heard of one of them. in which 217,000 persons participated. As each participant contributed a shilling entrance fee, the amount divided among those who supplied the missing word was large. The total $53,500 was divided among 114 persons, so each of these got almost $470. Here are the Terms of the Contest: Each person who wishes to try to supply the missing word in the paragraph that will presently follow, must cut out the “MISSING WORD COUPON” from this week's Frank Lestie’s WEEKLY, and with name and address, and the missing word plainly written in the proper blank spaces, send the same to the office of the publish- ers together with twenty-five cents in postage stamps orcurrency. On the lower left hand corner of the en- velope enclosing the coupon and entrance fee, should be written “MISSING WORD CONTEST.” This is the Paragraph: The total of the entrance fees will be divided equally among those who correctly supply the missing word, This coupon will be printed in the issue of December 22d and each issue thereafter until the close of the contest. The result of the contest will be announced in the issue of February 12th. No contestants will be permitted to enter after noon of February 1st. people. a shot from one of the “The amphitheatre was filled with excited and angry Those on the outside were apprehensive that the excited crowd would do serious damage to life and property. These apprehensions were shortly confirmed by the firing of The missing word in this paragraph is known only to the Editor, and it has been written and sealed -by him in an envelope which will not be opened till the noon of February 1st. s may make as many attempts as they choose, but Competitors each attempt must be made ona coupon taken from FRANK LESLIE'S WEEKLY, and F accompanied by the entrance ee of 25 cents. Pocess cess SSCs eS Seceessoeg Address ARKELL WEEKLY (0 Publishers FRANK LESLIE’S WEEKLY, +: 110 Fifth Ave., N. Y. City. comicbooks.com