Judge, 1899-05-20 · page 16 of 16
Judge — May 20, 1899 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a six-panel fable comparing urban and rural life, likely reflecting late-19th-century American tensions between city and country cultures. The city dog arrogantly dismisses country dogs as slow and ignorant, but his sophistication proves useless when faced with rural dangers—he's bitten by a snake, chased into a creek where a turtle attacks him, and nearly run down by a bicycle (a new, urban invention). The country dog, meanwhile, remains unfazed by the city dog's boasts about fashionable vests and modern machines. The moral is clear: city sophistication and technological progress offer no practical advantage in the country, where traditional knowledge and pragmatism matter more. The satire targets urban condescension toward rural America, suggesting that cosmopolitan pretensions are actually foolish when removed from their proper context. It's a defense of country values against modernizing urban culture.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Said the city dog to the country dog, Thus wisely spoke the city dog, “You country dogs are slow ; And as he wisely spake, Your life’s one uneventful jog— Alas ! he stepped into a bog That's why you nothing know.” And got bit by a snake. 3 " rae And while the city dog so slick And while he told the country dog Anathemas did hurtle, The latest style of vest He foolishly fell into a crick ” He menpes upon a rotten log ni And got “ chawed " by a turtle. “riled " a hornets’ nest. 5 6. And while he smoothed his ruffied coat Said the country dog, “ My friend, you may ‘And combed his silky sheen Be all right in the town, A man with whiskers on his throat But just as sure as hay is hay Rode by on a machine. t bere you are a clown.” COPYRONT 1890 BY ARKELL PUBLISHING COMPANY OF KEW YORK. Sackett 8 Withelms Litho & Prg Co NewYork, THE CITY DOG AND THE COUNTRY DOG A STORY WITH A MORAL. comicbooks.com