Judge, 1893-03-25 · page 16 of 18
Judge — March 25, 1893 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes Chicago's 1893 World's Columbian Exposition through multiple cartoon vignettes. The central image shows a bloated figure labeled "Chicago is a few weeks will own the earth," mocking the city's boastful ambitions. The surrounding sketches critique various aspects: rural visitors (likely farmers) gawking at the fair's grandeur and suffering "ruptures in the neck" from looking up at tall buildings; promises that beer will be sold despite religious objections; the hypocrisy of closing on Sundays "on account of religious scruples" while saloons openly operate ("no scruples here"); and the contrast between the fair's grand classical architecture and the commercial vice it attracts. The satire targets Chicago's self-aggrandizement, the collision between rural and urban America, moral contradictions around the fair's operation, and commercialism masquerading as civic progress.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘Sam Wint ‘ev bin to Squire Mosseack—": jergreen, yer needn't give if airs even if yer the fair.” Be ‘Winrarceuey—" Tain't airs, squire; it's with lookin’ up « at them tall buildin’s, We've got ruptures in the neck.” Beer will be sold at hundreds of stands on the grounds. An imaginary picture of the fair.” ** Seen the fair and the city! Why, man, int Chicago until ye ve seen the Tiaughte?-boutes the gresien orld. ‘The fair will be closed on Sundays on account of Rut these will all be open—no scruples here. religious scruples. THE WORLD'S FAIR. comicbooks.com