Judge, 1900-06-30 · page 6 of 17
Judge — June 30, 1900 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Judge* contains several satirical sketches mocking contemporary American life: **"Various Kinds of Shaving"** mocks Populist Party debates—comparing two barber-shops versus a national bank as equally trivial, satirizing their tendency toward petty disputes. **"Hooked"** is a romance joke: a woman asks if life is worth living, gets the romantic answer she wanted, and the humor lies in recognizing she deliberately "fished for" the compliment. **"Labor-Saving"** satirizes a girl named Helen who uses numerals in a letter claiming it's less work—then wastes effort explaining why, exemplifying female illogic (a period stereotype). **"A Horrid Alternative"** jokes about courtship: a suitor can't wait a month for an answer, so the woman advises asking her father instead—implying he'll be so angry the suitor won't be allowed to visit. **"Her Idea"** has a Sunday-school girl equate heaven with the Paris Exposition, mocking materialistic values and poor grammar ("juth" for "just"). The humor relies on period gender stereotypes and social conventions now considered offensive.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VARIOUS KINDS OF SHAVING. SS WE HAD quite a lively debate at the school-house Sat- urday evening,” remarked one populist. “We aim to discuss only questions of interest to the party; but this was about the liveliest time we've had yet.” “ What was the question debated?” inquired another populist. “Last Saturday night the topic for consideration was, * Resolved, that two barber-shops are worse than one national bank." "" HOOKED. ++ [5 LIFE worth living?" She'd asked it of him: ** Life without you, no, never! But life with you, forever!” Now her glad eyes are swimming with joy to the brim: "Tis the answer she'd wished for And, in fact, that she'd fished for. LABOR-SAVING, + +MY DEAR PAPA,” wrote little Helen, who was spend- 1. Chief Hole-in-his pocket finds a ing her vacation at a relative’s some distance from bunch of fire-crackers. FROM OUR COUNTRY CORRESPONDENT, home. “I went to a base-ball game to-day. The Buckeye Lawyer Higgins is improving. He took alittle ©lU had 26 tallies and the Blue-stockings had 7 tallies. exercise in the country yesterday. “Pos—l put these numbers in figures in- stead of spell- ing them be- cause it is so warm.” The intel- ligent reader will notice that Helen expended more labor in explaining why she used figures than would have been neces- sary to spell the numbers, but that is Helen's way. She isa girl, and girls be- A HORRID ALTERNATIVE. Sue—'*I will give you my answer in a month.” Hz—" But I won't be able to stay away from you for a month.” ' Sur— Then go and ask papa now and you won't be able to get around here for a month.” 8, Then takes his usual afternoon smoke—falls asleep. HER IDEA. SUNDAY-ScHOOL TEACHER —"'Yes, my child; heaven is a place of beautiful palaces, beautiful streets, beautiful music, and beautiful angels. Wouldn't ¢ to go there?” ~Giri—** Yeth, ma'am. It mutht be juth like a Paris exposition.” comicbooks.com