Judge, 1896-12-19 · page 29 of 46
Judge — December 19, 1896 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This appears to be a humorous domestic cartoon rather than political satire. It depicts a college student ("Abner, Jr.") showing his uncle his new punching bag, boasting about it as exercise equipment. Uncle Abner responds by promising the young man will get plenty of "exercise" when he returns home to the farm—specifically, mowing. The joke relies on the contrast between collegiate leisure and rural labor. The cartoon satirizes privileged college boys who consider light athletic training "exercise," while mocking their naïveté about actual work. Uncle Abner's dry comeback suggests farmwork will provide far more rigorous physical exertion than any gym equipment. This reflects late 19th/early 20th-century class humor common in *Judge* magazine, poking fun at urban college culture versus rural practicality and work ethic.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘ABNER, JR. (af college)—"' This is m’ room, an’ this m’ punchin'-bag.” (Biff) “It's great exercise.” Worse and worse, and more of it. UNCLE AnNER—"‘ Don't worry "baout yer exerciser, Peleg : T'll see that yew dew all the mowin’ when yew git hum to the farm ! Sackeit s Wilhelms Litho Co New York > .N INTERRUPTED COLLEGIATE COURSE.