Judge — June 20, 1896 — page 20: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a humorous cartoon mocking the incompetence and excuses of errand boys—young messengers commonly employed in early 20th-century offices and households. The page depicts multiple scenes of a hapless boy failing at simple tasks: delivering newspapers late, losing messages, forgetting packages, and generally bungling his responsibilities. The central joke targets not just the boy's incompetence, but the absurd excuses he offers—blaming grass growth under his feet, obstinate behavior, and other ridiculous explanations for his failures. The title's dedication is sarcastically affectionate, poking fun at a widespread social frustration: the universal experience of hiring unreliable young workers for basic errands. This reflects early 1900s workplace culture where such boys formed the backbone of office and commercial operations, making their failures a relatable source of comedy for Judge's readers.