Judge — February 17, 1900 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical page warns about consequences of overhunting. The eight panels depict absurd future scenarios if game depletion continues: - A tame bear must travel "incognito" (disguised) - Women remove bird feathers from hats (fashion affected by scarcity) - Domestic fowl wear armor for protection - Furriers remove shop signs (no business without pelts) - Weather vanes get hunted instead of game - Fathers resort to hunting rabbit-skins - Deer become so rare, hunters forget what they look like - A taxidermist's "motto" becomes "the more the merrier"—he profits from extinct species The final panel shows a stuffed-animal undertaker profiting from extinction, making the satire's point clear: uncontrolled hunting threatens wildlife and dependent industries. This reflects genuine Progressive-era conservation concerns about depleted American game populations, predating modern environmental awareness. The cartoonist argues hunters' self-interest—economic and sporting—demands restraint.