Judge, 1896-10-24 · page 10 of 16
Judge — October 24, 1896 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Judge page contains three satirical pieces: **"At the Circus"**: A political joke mocking the "Free Silver" currency debate. The pony named "Free Silver Dollar" is forty-seven cents short of its value—a jab at free silver advocates who Democrats viewed as economically unsound. References to "gold-standard Democrats" and "Willie Bryan" (likely William Jennings Bryan, free silver's champion) indicate this targets the 1896 presidential campaign's central monetary dispute. The joke ridicules free silver as worthless. **"Out of the Mouth of a Babe"**: A brief anecdote about a neglectful nurse-girl who vindictively curses her employer's baby, using exaggerated dialect humor common to the era. **"Embarrassing"**: A social comedy about Captain Hawtree's embarrassment when his expensive saddle-horse is revealed as a circus animal (likely one trained to perform tricks). The Roosevelt girls' appearance adds to his humiliation, as he's romantically interested in one of them. The page reflects late-19th-century American political satire and period humor conventions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
266 uae AT THE CIRCUS. ; ssQJOW then, Mr. N Merryman, what do you call that little pony 2” “Free Silver Dol- lar,’ Mr. Frankfort.” * Why do you call that little horse ‘Free Silver?" Because he has ahead and tail like any dollar, but is forty- seven cents short be- tween.” believer in sound money?” “Oh, yes; he sounds all right. A hoss is a hoss, and a dollar is a dollar. Sound money; that’s right.” ell, Mr. Merryman, we are all gold-standard Democrats here, so no jokes, plea: “So is this pony, Mr. Frankfort, because he will kick at the platform and then try to swallow t ndidate. Take him off! take him off!" (Crack!) “ You will be legal tender for a week if that lunge-whip catches you. Iiring in the bareback rider, Willie Bryan.” OUT OF THE MOUTH OF A BABE (?), A EADY in Harlem recently refused her thirteen-year-old nurse-girl permission to take the baby out for a walk, and this is what she got for it: “Wouldn't its nassy old freckled mamma let its Mamie take it out for a little walky-palky? Well, it should get mad, so it should ; and get the whoopsy-cough, so it should ; and pull its mamma’s old red hair, so it should, so it should.” EMBARRASSING. It was rather embarrassing, after his many stories of the beautiful saddle-horse he had purchased at a very stiff price, for Captain Hawtree to discover that his great prize was one of those “musical” circus horses; just at the moment, too, when those Roosevelt girls rode by, and the captain was very sweet on the younger one. Then he is a 4 LOOKING FORWARD, “Oi heard yer hoosband wuz doyin’, be bring him round this bit uv oice. Th’ tir Mas. Kerrican (10/t/+) Mrs. Flynn, so Oi thought Oi poor divil moight ez well enjoy oice whoile he kin.” ; | comicbooks.cof