Judge — December 23, 1899 — page 36: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes a Black character named "Rastus Fowleter" who has invented patent stilts to disguise himself as a tall turkey. The joke plays on racial stereotypes common to the era: a Black person attempting theft through crude deception. The farmer will supposedly mistake the stilt-walker for a stray turkey, allowing the character to steal poultry. The satire targets both the character's supposed criminal scheming and the absurdity of the "invention"—patent stilts as a theft tool. This reflects Judge's frequent use of racist caricature and dialect for comedic effect, typical of late-19th/early-20th-century American satire that relied heavily on minstrelsy stereotypes. The cartoon offers no social criticism; it simply weaponizes racist humor.