Judge — September 28, 1901 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This 1908 satirical cartoon mocks wealthy investor "Stoxon Bonds," who has invested heavily in the "Skinflint Oil Company." The joke hinges on disappointment with corporate management. Bonds initially complains the company is a "cheap combination," but then contradicts himself—noting that despite the company's "sumptuously appointed office," he'd judge them differently if he visited in person. His final comment reverses this: he'd actually prefer their *room* (office space) to their *company* (their actual presence/character). The satire targets the disconnect between corporate appearance and reality: fancy offices mask poor business practices or character. The cartoon also mocks investor naïveté—Bonds is fooled by superficial trappings rather than evaluating actual business merit. The background shows a carriage and pastoral setting, emphasizing the leisure-class context of this investment complaint.