Judge, 1899-08-19 · page 10 of 16
Judge — August 19, 1899 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical page contains multiple humor pieces typical of early 20th-century American magazine comedy: **"A Rough Experience"**: An Oklahoma native brags about hardships—three marriages and a cyclone strike—presenting misfortune as achievement. The joke mocks rural boasting culture. **"Change or Exchange"**: A prisoner argues to a judge that stealing a car was medically necessary ("needed a change"), punning on the doctor's advice. The satire targets both criminal excuses and health fads. **"The Proper Rejoinder"**: Mr. Blowbuster writes carelessly while traveling; his friend's witty response mocks pretentious behavior masquerading as efficiency. **"Collect and Benediction"**: Two country girls attending an Episcopal service misinterpret the church program's "Collect and benediction" as instructions to pass a collection plate, planning to leave before donations occur. The satire gently mocks rural unfamiliarity with formal worship. All pieces employ wordplay, mistaken assumptions, and class-based humor typical of Judge's audience.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A ROUGH Native (of Oklakoma)—" Ole Jed Thompson is always a-braggin’ "bout what he's gone through.” STRANGER—* What has he gone through to brag about ? Why, he’s been married three times and hit by a:cyclone twice. CHANGE OR EXCHANGE, SS YVEIY did you take this brand-new wheel And leave your wreck in its place 2” Asked the stern old judge of the prisoner, Looking him full in the face. ** Indeed, your honor,” the culprit said, “* The reason ‘s not at all strange ; My doctor said I was getting run down And badly needed a change.” THE PROPER REJOINDER. MB. BLOWBUSTER is not a dab at punctuation, and this is the way he concluded a letter to his friend Brown: “| hope you can read this scrawl | am writing it as I travel from Washington on my knee.” He couldn't understand why Brown, who is a thrifty man, wrote back: “You'll find it no economy to save car-fare at the expense of ruining your trousers.” What the summer styles would be if tailors had as much nerve as dressmakers, or how we would look this season if we followed the feminine styles of beauty. COLLECT AND BENEDICTION. were two robust country girls, evidently strangers in the city — strangers, too, to the iscopal form of worship. They sat half way up the centre aisle, and throughout the musical service had listened with wondering attention, At last one of the girls, who had been scrutinizing her programme in- tently, began to fidget uneasily in her seat. "Say, Mame,” she said in an ear-piercing whisper, “ let's go out.” “Why,” asked Mame, “don’t you want to stay till it's all over?” i but I ain't got any eplied the other; “have ; but I guess they won't pass the plate now; it's near done.” “Oh, yes, they will, too. Look here!" thrusting the pro- gramme under her companion’s nose. “ Right at the end it says, *Collect and benediction.’ Reverend Wavenivs Gonralag to parsonage Hotes By 180 3 oct 2 May— Dus ie Be his oeloet try him 2?” ter a hard blow)—'* Oh, dear! these cyclones are a" awed whisper. “Let's go Mavicnincrs a Hrtex—" Oh, yes; but he believes in letting well-enough freadful things.” now, alone.” comicbooks.com