Judge, 1897-03-27 · page 16 of 16
Judge — March 27, 1897 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1897 Judge cartoon satirizes military discipline breaking down over a runaway chicken. The top panel shows uniformed soldiers standing at attention as an inspector approaches—they're warned to be careful. The bottom panel depicts chaos: the same soldiers have abandoned formation to chase after a chicken (labeled "Darktown prize pullet"), with one soldier wishing they were on horseback to catch it. The joke mocks how even strict military order collapses when faced with mundane distraction. The "Darktown" reference reflects the period's racist minstrelsy terminology. The satire targets the fragility of discipline and military authority rather than commenting on specific events, using slapstick humor common to Judge's satirical style.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Company (in chorus, as the “ Darktown pris ¢ pullet” crosses in full view)—" Lawd! 1 wish we was on a horse !” Comymawy 1897 BY THE JUDGE PUBLISHING COMPANY OF NEW Sackelta Wehelms Litho Co New York THE CHICKEN SPOILED DISCIPLINE. comicbooks.com