Judge, 1897-12-18 · page 15 of 53
Judge — December 18, 1897 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Judge magazine page uses Christmas as a framework for satirizing urban poverty and hypocrisy. The main cartoon depicts "Weary Willie" (a stock character representing the homeless poor) reading a letter from a supposed orphan girl requesting alcohol and food—clearly a con to manipulate charitable donors. Willie plans to mail it to the *New York Journal*, banking on sentimental readers to send money that he'll pocket rather than give the child. The satire targets both the gullible wealthy who donate based on emotional appeals and the con artists exploiting their charity. References to "Medford Rum" and specific Bowery addresses ground this in Gilded Age New York poverty. Supporting items mock Christmas excess ("Christmas goose" = spendthrift), children's materialistic wishes, and holiday clichés. The page suggests Christmas charity is easily manipulated—a sharp critique of progressive-era sentimentality about the poor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
+t Christmas Judge. Weary Witte (reading letter)—"** Deer Mister Santy Klaws—I am a little gurl six years old, and I have no papa or mama to buy me christmas presents, ax jill you please to send such a poor litle orphan gurl a few presents—1 shoald like about 3 gallons of Medford Rum and six plugs of jacks Restaurant—Yours affectionately, Mabel Goodygood, care of Mister Weary Willie, 17 Bowery, New Yor! meal ticket on Beefsteal Frostep FAin—"Are yer goin’ crazy Weary Witiie—" Not much—I'm a EASILY ANSWERED. Hojack—''I often see the Christmas soose mentioned in Christmas stories, What is the Christmas goose ?” | Tompik—" The Christmas goose is the man who spends more money for presents than he can afford.” WHERE EXTENSION WAS CRAVED. +S YOU wish your stocking was bigger. don’t you, dear?" asked mamma of Davie. jo'm; my stummick.” ONCE let the Christmas spirit dry up in a man, and it is usually broken off in the extraction. goin ter mail dis ter de New York Journal, an’ de editor will [age it, an’ some kind-hearted philanthropist will read it with tears in his eyes and send dear little Mabel jes wot she asks fer; an‘ yow won't ring in on any of it, needer.”” A STROKE OF GENIUS. win’ terbacker, au CHRISTMAS CAROLS. [T TAKES Santa Claus a long time to fill the girls’ stockings in Chicago, but he makes up for lost time when he gets to Boston. Don't try to make yourself happy at Christmas by doing the things you will swear off at New-year's. If you should see any one coming down the chimney don’t think it is Santa Claus, but go at once and sound the burglar-alarm. If you are going to be married at Christmas, light the Yule-log with the other girls’ letters. Don’t call yourself unlucky just because you fail to pull the gold watch out of the Christmas grab-bag. Skates and sleds seem to be as popular as ever, although the weather prophets tell us we have no more old-fashioned winters. : The man who lives near a very steep hill will find it wiser to give his boy a book than a bob-sled. HER THOUGHT AT THE MOMENT. “Ob, George, tell me—is my life-preserver on straight ?” ComrmaNT 1997 BY THK JUDGE PUBLISHING COMPANY OF NEW YORE comicbooks.com