Judge, 1899-12-23 · page 16 of 46
Judge — December 23, 1899 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three separate humor pieces typical of early-20th-century satirical comics: **Top cartoon ("In Chicago"):** A fashionable woman's statement that she wants "the earth" and asks only for "a foothold" is reinterpreted as identical demands—satirizing women's ambitions and the feminist movement's growing assertiveness. **Left panel ("Left"):** Street-level dialect humor about a boy named "Chimmie Murphy" sent to reform school for stealing candy. The joke plays on Irish-American working-class speech patterns and juvenile delinquency, a contemporary urban concern. **Right panels:** Two brief domestic comedy exchanges—one about a child getting into jam (literal and figurative trouble), another about the logical absurdity of asking Santa for things you *don't* want. The page relies on class-based humor, ethnic caricature through dialect, and simple observational comedy about children and women. The satirical edge targets social anxieties about urban poverty, crime, and changing gender roles rather than specific political figures.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
IN CHICAGO. hat girl wants the earth.” She says all she asks for is a foothold.” That's the same thing.” EXPLANATORY. Motnzx—" William! Have you been getting into that jam again?” Son—‘'N-no, mamma ; th-the jam's been a-getting into me !” Did ye hear "bout Chimmie Murphy ? Got pinched fer swipin’ HARD )TO>COMEREHEND. a candy-cane railroaded to de reform-school till he’s twenty-one Gs Freddie— There is one thing I'd like to know.’ CLaupe—" Great Scott and Scott great! And on'y next week he wuz goin’ oes Po ter start in tryin’ ter be good fer Chris'mus. Wot's de use fer ter be intendin’ fer Cit net é ter be startin’ fer ter be tryin’ fer ter be good? Nutt'n! Chimmie’s left at de Freddie—“ Why is there no use asking Santa Claus for the things post. He's wuss—he's left “fore he even got ter de post !” you don’t want me to have?" comicbooks.com