Judge — January 6, 1894 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon depicts the transition between years, showing an outgoing figure (representing the "old year") passing responsibilities to an incoming one (the "new year," labeled "1894"). The exhausted departing figure, dressed in tattered clothing and appearing disheveled, gestures helplessly at various problems he's leaving behind—depicted as explosive devices or troublesome objects scattered on the ground. The caption—"The old year has left some mighty tough jobs on my hands"—emphasizes that the incoming year inherits significant unresolved challenges from its predecessor. This was a common satirical format in Judge magazine, using personified years to comment on ongoing political and social crises America faced. The specific problems of 1893-1894 remain unclear without additional context, but likely reference economic hardship, labor disputes, or political controversies of that era.