Judge — December 18, 1897 — page 20: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This two-panel cartoon satirizes road-sharing conflicts between vehicles and bicyclists around the early 1900s. **Top panel:** A farmer (Rackiot) with his horse-drawn carriage curses at bicyclists on the road, calling them "pesky" nuisances and claiming he'll never give them a ride. **Bottom panel:** The same farmer, now stranded, receives help from those same bicyclists. He admits he was wrong and takes back his complaints. **The satire:** The title "Poor Rule That Doesn't Work Both Ways" critiques the farmer's hypocrisy—he despises bicyclists sharing the road until he needs their assistance. The cartoon mocks those who demand privileges for themselves while denying them to others. It reflects period tensions between different road users competing for space on newly motorized/wheeled thoroughfares, while advocating for mutual respect and reciprocal courtesy among travelers.