Judge, 1899-12-09 · page 6 of 16
Judge — December 9, 1899 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three separate humorous sketches typical of early Judge magazine: **"Tricks of Black Art"** (top): A dialect-heavy joke featuring Jim Crowhue and Deacon Johnsing (characters using racist minstrel-show speech patterns common to the era). Jim proposes becoming a hypnotist, claiming he could charm chickens or make watermelons detach from vines. The deacon, initially skeptical of "hoodoo," becomes interested when Jim suggests it could protect him from white people's livestock—a subtle commentary on theft anxieties and racial dynamics of the period. **"In the Dark"** (middle): A brief romantic comedy where Miss Albany claims barely seeing her suitor Percy, though he monopolizes her parlor nightly—a conventional joke about courtship deception. **"A Comparative Luxury"** (bottom): A volunteer fireman jokes that leaving his fireside to fight fires is actually preferable because it escapes playing cards with his wife—a domestic complaint joke. The page reflects Judge's mix of racial stereotypes, romantic humor, and domestic comedy typical of early-20th-century American satirical publications.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
TRICKS OF BLACK ART. A-AS, sah,” observed Jim Crowhue; “I's about made up mah mind to be a perfessah ob hypnotism an’ a mastah ob de black aht.”” “T's powahful grieved to heah yo" say so," remarked Deacon Johnsing, “ kase folkses doan’ take much stock in hoodoo fellahs. I wouldn’ hab nuffin’ to do wid it, Jems.” “Ya-as; but, deacon, dey say dat a hypnotist kin jes’ chahm a chicken or gobbler so he cain’t wink er hollah to sabe his life.” “ Yo! doan’ tell me?” “Ya-as, sah; an’ yo’ kin hypnotize a watahmillion so hit'll jes” disconnec’ f'um de vine an’ roll towahds yo'.”” “Say, Jim Crowhue! do yo" s'pose dey could teach an ole man like me to hypnotize?” “Go ‘long, deacon! I ‘lowed yo' didn’ take no stock in sich things.” “Look heah, young fellah! an ole man has to hab some means to pertec’ hisse’f when white folks’ gobblers an’ chickens try to bite him, I reckon.” WALTER CHAMP, IN THE DARK. Mr. HicHcoLtar—" Your brother tells me that young Sapleigh has monopolized the parlor every night this week. I should think you would get sick of the sight of him.” Miss ALBANY—' Why, Mr. Highcollar! I don’t see Percy more than ten minutes from the time be comes fa tll the time he goes out.” THE PROFESSOR AGAIN. A NATURAL QUERY. oe It IS. the unexpected that always happens,” said the professor gently, a far- Jounnte—" Pa-a-a! what eleven is he on?” away look in his eyes; but this time, fortunately, I had anticipated it.” bare A COMPARATIVE LUXURY. FxieNp—"* Don't you find it very disagreeable to leave yout cozy fireside on such a night as this and run to a fire?” VOLUNTEER FIREMAN—"' Disagreeable? Not abit! Why, I am usually playing cards with my wife.” comicbooks.com