Judge — September 14, 1901 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "How We Are Getting Along" — Judge Magazine Cartoon Analysis This page critiques America's progress during the railroad era. The central cartoon, titled "He Had Been Married," depicts a woman riding atop a man's shoulders, illustrating marital dependency and burden—a commentary on societal relationships during rapid industrialization. The accompanying text discusses how railroad development, despite bringing civilization, has created new social problems: labor disputes, capital conflicts on the Pacific Coast, and urban congestion (the Fifth Avenue automobile traffic reference). The satire argues that while Americans celebrate technological progress—steamboats, locomotives, automobiles—they've overlooked the human costs: poverty, labor unrest, and infrastructure strain. The "marriage" metaphor suggests progress and its consequences are inseparably bound, with society bearing an uncomfortable load.