Judge — July 31, 1897 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of "The Boss of the Situation" This July 31, 1897 *Judge* cartoon satirizes the impact of a major mining strike. A caricatured figure (likely representing labor agitators or strike leadership) sits astride two large barrels labeled "Money Contributed by Mine Owners" and "To Avert the Strike." The figure holds signs reading "Great Strike" while two smaller men—possibly representing mine owners and workers—sit dejectedly on opposite sides below. The satire suggests that strike organizers have become the real "boss," extracting money from mine owners under threat. The cartoon critiques how labor disputes enriched intermediaries rather than genuinely resolving worker grievances. The exaggerated caricature and smug expression emphasize the cartoonist's view that strike leadership exploited the situation for personal gain.