Judge, 1900-11-03 · page 6 of 14
Judge — November 3, 1900 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes the growing power of **corporate trusts**—monopolistic business combinations that dominated early 20th-century American commerce. The main cartoon depicts Satan unable to heat Hell because the **coal trust, oil trust, and pork-packers' combine** have monopolized these resources, even in the underworld. The joke: trusts are so powerful and pervasive they've infiltrated everywhere, even Hell itself, rendering Satan helpless. The satire targets actual historical trusts that controlled coal, oil, and meat-packing industries—entities that dominated American business and faced political criticism for anti-competitive practices. By literalizing trusts as obstacles to Satan's operations, Judge magazine mocks their stranglehold on commerce and society. Secondary cartoons and jokes on the page employ unrelated humor about romance and Irish accents, typical of period magazines.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE POWER OF sippi-river steamboat as : 2 and knew his business. THE TRUSTS. > cibialss i , in Azrael trembled, ‘ but he could not tell a lie. “The pork-pack- ers’ combine has been with us for several days, your majesty,” he said briefly. Satan gave Cer- “Here!” he thun- mAs = berus a kick in the ribs dered when he had : - ‘ 2 which almost sopped that animal's vitality and started for the door. “Well,” he ex- claimed, “these trusts beat hell, and no mis- : , . ‘ . take!" We can't, your Ses vald ; | And Azrael, bow- majesty,” responded ; } ‘ : 7 ed by the weight of Azracl, the head fire- ‘ at fej combinations, leaned man; “there is none.” ; , ; y upon his shovel and > coal ?" storm- f js gazed on the ground. edd his majesty. : ? ; d WILLIAM J, LAMFTON, “No, sire; not i ¥ since the coal - trust . ° ——— POLITE RE- gentlemen arrived. 2 By : FUSAL. They've organized a ¥ 64 ET us go out combine, : ._ lds Bh tee? and get some get a lum i on 7 ozone,” said Gilfoyle to Bunting as the curtain at thet ; ‘ ef sat bes went down at the close they? Well, just dump F ; ; ete) (he second act. in a few barrels of oll, ¢ : ey Gt 28 Ae age d aa DUES y That'll make a cheer ‘ f Seo ’ ‘ ATAN stepped into the furnace-room, gazed into the bottom- less pit for a few mo- ments, and walked over to the thermom- eter. noted the figures, “shovel in some more coal, or some of the gentlemen down there will be having influ- ful fire." 5 SO: ME reg dy p ho fe jee toi intoxicat “The oil-trust : magnates have also a arrived, your majesty,” é COMPULSORY explained the faithful PMN PLCS Stare se a ECONOMY. Azrael. f ; . j ¥ 43) 1 aa Benedict—* Brace ‘The brow of Satan tg ae 5 Sean a 4 up, old man, and get grew black. F PATS es & eee Yt married, It’s the only “Chuck in a lot é Cg: : K ae way to really live. You of hams and shoulders Ot ee ae os sie en : re won't pay nearly so and send an imp up to - - = = much for the necessa- st onthesafety-ale" G0 -KBVICe. ries of life as you do ee Eee Eppir—" How would it be best for me to approach your father when I ask him for your hand?" now. ly; for he had had cx- Miss CLarke—' Backwards, my sailor boy. Then you can jump for the door deuced quick, without Bachelor—* That perience on a Missis- stopping to turn,” is what Lam afraid of." U { GETTING USED TO IT. Wake oop, ye divil! Oi can't shlape a wink an account av yure shnoring.” Ye musht thry an’ git used to it the same as Oi hov. Oi niver notice it mesilf ut all, ut all." comicbooks.com