Judge, 1893-12-09 · page 45 of 52
Judge — December 9, 1893 — page 45: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a political cartoon or satire**—it's a **full-page advertisement** for the New York Central Railroad, likely from the 1890s. The page promotes the railroad as "America's Greatest Railroad" through: - **Scenic photographs** of the Mohawk Valley and Hudson River routes, emphasizing natural beauty - **Claims of superior service**: more daily trains and "attractive features" than competitors - **Five famous limited trains** named (Exposition Flyer, North Shore Limited, etc.) - **Engine No. 999**, highlighted as a speed record-holder completing a mile in 32 seconds The text contains boastful comparisons: the engine runs three times faster than the fastest horse, defies steamship competition, and represents modern technological achievement. The World's Fair prize claim adds prestige. This is straightforward promotional content celebrating railroad innovation and American industrial progress during the Gilded Age—no satire or hidden political message is present.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
«Americas wee Greatest Railroad.” The New York Central with its connections offers a greater number of trains daily and a larger number of attractive features for a trip between the East and the West than any other route. THROUGH THE MOHAWK VALLEY. ALONG THE HUDSON RIVER, Our matchless service now includes Five Great Limited Trains, among which are the ‘Exposition Flyer’—the great 20-hour train between New York and Chicago; the famous ‘North Shore Limited”; the ‘Southwestern Limited,” and the ‘Empire State Express”— the fastest train in the world. NEW YORK CENTRAL'S WORLD-FAMOUS PASSENGER ENGINE NO. 999, WITH A RECORD OF A MILE IN 32 SECONDS. ‘* This is just about three times as fast as the fastest horse, Salvator; it is five and a half times as fast as a human sprinter tried for a short distance of 100 yards; it casts a chill upon the ambition of the steamers which of late have taken on the old-fashioned railroad speed of ‘nearly 30 miles an hour, and it is a bid of defiance to the rapidly extending power of electricity. It is a glorious achievement.”—Editorial, New York Sun, May 12th, 1893 For a copy of ‘me Luaury or Mopern “4 . Ratccar Feavet.” send two -cent stamps No. 999 was the Prize Winner to George H. Daniels, General Passenger Agent, Grand Central’Station, New York. at the World's Fair at Chicago. comicbooks.com