Judge, 1901-04-20 · page 10 of 16
Judge — April 20, 1901 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes wealthy Americans' schadenfreude and materialistic gossip during the Gilded Age. The main cartoon depicts Mrs. Cobwigger house-hunting while eagerly discussing the Needhams' financial ruin—they've lost money in sugar speculation and surrendered their lease. Rather than sympathize, Cobwigger obsesses over what valuables they've sold: their Bokhara rugs, Japanese Satsuma art, and wine collection. She barely noticed the house itself, only the evidence of their decline. The satire targets the cruel social voyeurism of the period: wealthy women treating others' misfortune as entertainment while pretending concern. The Needhams' descent "in the world" fascinates her more than actual household features. The bottom cartoon about the embezzling teller adds related commentary: banks pay executives high salaries while lesser employees steal modest amounts—a jab at class hypocrisy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
S35. = THE MODERN HOUSE-HUNTER. Z Mrs. Winthrop —“ You look tired cf out, my dear.” Mrs. Cobwigger —* Yes, I've been house-hunting all day. It's dreadful work, especially when you don't find a single place that suits you at all.” Mrs, Winthrop — “Ot course you went to the place where the Needhams live? It's said he lost so much money in sugar that he had to surrender his lease. I was thinking the house might suit me. How many rooms has it?” Mrs. Cobwigger—" V've te- ally forgotten. And so they are getting put out, practically ? : How proud and stuck-up they used AT NIAGARA. to be! You have no idea of the i | j ** How grand and awe-inspiring it all is, John.” straits they have been put to. They Miss BurreneLy—" Say, Mr. Chick, isn't ** Yes, but don’t talk, dear, I want to listen to the roar- have sold those beautiful Bokhara _ it fine to get out of one’s stuffy old cocoon ?” | Ing of the waters,” rugs they had in their parlors and | taken the carpets from the upstairs rooms to replace them.” | Mrs. Winthrop —"Ate there plenty of closets in the house ?” Mrs. Cobwigger—""1 never noticed. You must remember reading in the papers about two years ago that Mr. Needham purchased some rare specimens of Japan- ese art—real old Satsuma, you know. Well, I looked all over the house and they weren't there. 1 wonder what he got for them ?” Mrs, Winthrop — “1 understand there is a laundry as well as a butler's pantry in the house ?” Mrs. Cobwigger—"1 don't recollect, my dear. I know there is a beautiful wine-cellar, I went down on purpose to see what was there. - It’s just awful how poor they have become. ‘There wasn't a bottle in sight. But I'm so tired, my dear. You must excuse me for not answering all your questions. But you must really get a pass to go through the house, just to see for yourself how those people have come down in the world.” 5, 5, o'connaut. “That's a silhouette of my great-grandfather.” EVERYTHING that nobody else has “I'm — which Way is he looking ?” any use for comes to him that waits. VENR NYA S Tan tans, = — = THEN THE SNOW FELL THICKER. First pirector— The teller confesses that he has stolen eight hundred dollars and can conceal the fact no longer.” SECOND DiRFCTOR—"' Great Scott! And we've been paying such a lobster as that five thousand a year salary.” comicbooks.com