Judge, 1901-04-13 · page 7 of 20
Judge — April 13, 1901 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes religious class distinctions in late 19th-century America. The main story mocks Episcopal pretension: Uncle Ned, a Black sexton (church custodian) at an Episcopal church, receives an elaborate funeral with music, influential pallbearers, and flowers. A Methodist Black man, Uncle Ben, encounters the Episcopal rector and praises the funeral effusively—then reveals he was himself "Episcopalian twenty years befo' I got religion," implying the Episcopal Church is less genuine or sincere than Methodism. The satire targets how Episcopal churches (historically more elite and formal) treated Black members versus how Methodism, seen as more democratic, engaged them. The joke suggests Episcopalianism is merely performative display rather than authentic faith. The page's other cartoons—about burglars, theatrical ghosts, and water-drawing—appear unrelated filler content typical of satirical magazines.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A DENOMINATIONAL DIG, LD Uncle Ned died the other day. | | Hehad been the sexton of St. Luke's Episcopal Church ever since any- o1 ‘ould remember, and a faithful one he had been, All the members loved Uncle Ned, and he felt that he owned the people as well as the church and the rector. So when old Uncle Ned died the minister had the best music the city afforded, selected the pall-bear- ers from the most influential men, had the body lie in state for several hours in the church, so that all his colored friends could come and take a last look at the old man, and in- vited them to go to the cemetery in a body. The ladies of the congregation covered the bier with flowers, The funeral was grand. The next day the rector, walking down the street, met an aged darky, a good old class-leader in the Methodist church, Good-mornin’, Mars Peter—good-mornin’ !” “Good-morning, Uncle Ben. I hope that you are well this morning.” “No, L ain't, Mars Peter; I is poo'ly, poo’! But I tell you what, Mars Peter, dat shore was a fine funeral you done gin Bret Ned yesterday. Shore, sir,no white man could hab had a finer send-off dan dat you done gin Brer Ned. Wid all dem flowers, THE ONLY Way. MANAGER (at rehearsal)—"' See here! You've got shudder more naturally than that when the ghost comes i Har Well, I've asked you repeatedly to my mother-in-law the job of ghost, and you won't do it.” an’ all dat music, an’ all dem white men actin’ as pall- b —oh, my soul! dat was a joyful funeral. It j { de times when I was a‘Piscopal myself.” nele Ben! were you ever an Episcopal churchman ? “A wha s Peter—a churchman, a ‘Pisclo- pean? Oh, go y from here! I was a 'Pisclopean twenty years befo’ I got religion.” MANGARET HAMMOXD. Finst BURGLAR: SECOND HURGLAR—"* Bunch o” dressmaker's bills. First uurctar—* Receipted ?” ** Receipted.” Come on; let's get out 0” here !* SUCH CONSIDERATION ! you will draw water fer a half hour I'll give you your dinner, xxut Eppie—"' Lady, I'm just dyin’ ter draw water; but we now know dat STAGE TALK. de beautiful sy igure kin only be preserved by exercise, an’ be “I'm making the hit of the season with my original coon-songs. How it far from me, madam, to deprive you of de trainin’ wich I perceive keeps your are you getting along?” Venus-like form in all its youthful shapeliness an’ glory. comicbooks.com