Judge, 1901-03-09 · page 7 of 22
Judge — March 9, 1901 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a dark humor cartoon satirizing romantic sentimentality. The title "Panama Stairway" appears unrelated to the actual content shown—likely a section header or advertisement. The joke is a macabre pun: the poem establishes "Henry" and "Henrietta" as lovers, with Henry's devotion described as loving her "well enough to eat." The punchline reveals this was literal—stranded on a desert island facing starvation, Henry ate Henrietta, the phrase "dear Henry 'et 'er" being a phonetic play on "ate her." The illustration shows an elegantly dressed woman (Henrietta) admiring herself in an ornate mirror in what appears to be a fancy bedroom, unaware of her dark fate. This juxtaposes civilized luxury with the crude survival cannibalism described in the verse, amplifying the satirical horror-comedy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Pananzra STannwsy AND THIS IS HENRIETTA, Henry was his ‘nomen sweet, But hunger on a desert isle And hers was Henrietta Soon snapped love's silken fetter. He loved her well enough to eat— He stood the awful pangs a while, No lover e’er loved better. And then dear Henry ‘et ‘er. comicbooks.com