Judge, 1900-02-17 · page 10 of 16
Judge — February 17, 1900 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two separate satirical pieces: **"Getting Even"** (main comic strip): Two characters, Pete and Bill, play a prank involving a buoy in water. Pete tricks Bill into a dangerous situation, then attempts a "rescue" that goes wrong—nearly drowning Bill. The joke critiques escalating revenge pranks that backfire. **"Unnecessary Candor"** (right panel): A job applicant or stranger delivers an absurdly honest monologue to a barber, admitting he's uninformed on politics, religion, and current events (likely referencing the Dreyfus affair). His honesty is so tactless that the barber describes him as "deaf and dumb"—satirizing how brutal truthfulness can be socially unacceptable, and mocking the oversharing of private opinions. Both pieces use exaggerated character behavior to mock American social norms: the dangers of petty retaliation in "Getting Even" and the social awkwardness of excessive candor in the second piece. The cartoons are illustrated with typical period woodcut-style drawings.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
GETTING EVEN. HUMANITY. UMANITY 's a cu- rious combination Of love and hate, laugh- terand lamentation; Tempestuous nights and glorious June weather, Withsnow and lightning, tangled all together. EMMA Cc. DOWD. UNNECESSARY CANDOR. +MY NAME,” be- M gan the stran- ger, as he settled down | Pete—"* Is there anything u . Bill?” in the chair, “is Heze- BILL (up above) —"* No ;. not : kiah Cumso. I’ agree 1th 9 with you that it’s a = ing) freak of a name, but P SI hf) neither of us was_par-, =z Z “(a (\ ticeps criminis. I-have r, no conscientious scru- d : A YOUNG MAN (entering dry-goods store, to floor- eeu =| “i ples against capital j.qyguy Do you keep aationny ?” se punishment; would FLoor-wALker—" No, sir! “If I did I would convict on reasonable lose my job.” evidence; am a native or naturalized citizen, and have not voted previously at this election; in politics I agree with you, or if 1 don’t I ought to; religion ditto; have taken three degrees in the blue lodge, but have not yet decided whether I shall go higher; I agree with you that we need rain, and I don’t know any more about the Dreyfus case than*you do. 1 come from a section of country where they kill barbers for asking fool questions, but if there is anything else you want to know, fire away.” “ He's deef an’ dum’, mister,” remarked the boss barber as Mr, Cum- so paused for a reply. KEPT MOVING. Pere, (aside) —"* I'l get even with him for that trick.—Yes; come on down and see how it work Well, here she goes, Pete; hold fast to the rope.” “All right, let her go.” Pere —* It works like a charm—haw! haw! haw! haw! Guess I'd Bui—*' Well, that’s carrying a joke too far. The blamed fool might better pull him out now. have drowned me.” comicbooks.com