Judge — April 17, 1897 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains multiple comic strips satirizing hobos and vagrant life, likely from the early 20th century. The cartoons depict exaggerated scenes of homeless men in various predicaments—traveling illegally on trains, begging, and engaging in con schemes. The reference to "the microbe scare" suggests these strips satirize public health anxieties of the era, portraying hobos as disease vectors. One caption mentions a "relay system of hobo tramps," implying organized vagrant networks. The humor targets both the homeless themselves (shown as comedic figures) and middle-class fears about vagrancy and contagion. The cartoons reflect period attitudes viewing hobos as both comic subjects and genuine social threats. The Sackett-Wilhelms lithography credit indicates professional magazine production.