Judge, 1901-09-14 · page 8 of 16
Judge — September 14, 1901 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Judge magazine page uses historical parallels to satirize contemporary resistance to automobiles. The cartoons depict two earlier technological disruptions: **Top panel**: Stephenson's early locomotive (early 1800s) faced panic from stage-drivers, teamsters, and horsemen who feared job loss. Crowds jeered and children threw stones at the "iron monster." **Bottom panel**: When bicycles arrived (late 1800s), they were similarly opposed—banned by ordinance, riders ridiculed and mobbed, roads sabotaged with tacks and broken glass. **The satire's point**: The page argues that automobile opposition is merely history repeating itself. Just as people now laugh at the absurd panic over locomotives and bicycles, future generations will laugh at current automobile opposition. The implicit message: resistance to technological progress is foolish and inevitable—the automobile will prevail regardless of current objections from traditional workers (horsemen, teamsters) and fearful authorities. The headline promises this theme continues: "HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF, AND THE..." (text cuts off).
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘When Stephenson’s locomotive ventured upon its first trip, in the dawn of the 19th century, there was dire panic throughout the com- munity ; stage-drivers, teamsters and horsemen hooted and jeered, or bemoaned the prospect of losing their occupations, and the small boy threw stones at the iron monster. All of which seems funny, as we look back from to-day. PANGEROUS To ) MIF E ann UME, DOWN WITH THE 3. When bicycles came in—and this is a matter of contemporaneous history, within easy recollection of the present generation, —prohibitory ordinances were passed, penalties imposed, the wheelman was ridiculed or mobbed, dogs were set upon him, and the (then) rough roads were strewn with tacks and broken glass for his éspecial benefit. And, to-day, doesn’t all this look queer? COPTmONT 1901 BY JUDGE COMPANY OF KEW YORK THE AUTOMOBILE HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF, AND THE NAR comicbooks.com