Judge, 1901-11-16 · page 4 of 16
Judge — November 16, 1901 — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a humorous anecdote about a well-dressed Italian visiting Victor's restaurant. When asked what a "polar bear" is, the proprietor explains it's "an animal, white and covered with fur." The Italian then asks where polar bears live, leading to Victor's reply: "at the north pole." The joke concludes with the Italian's punchline about polar bears sitting on "one cake of ice"—a play on words mocking Victor's earlier claim that he serves only "one cake of ice" at his establishment. The accompanying illustrations depict the conversation and unrelated domestic scenes below. This appears to be gentle ethnic humor typical of early-20th-century American magazines, using a supposed Italian accent or naïveté for comedic effect.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
- A POLAR BEAR. > THE other day a well-dressed Italian came N into Victor's restaurant and seeking the proprietor, asked : “Meester Veector, excuse-a me for trouble you, but will you be so kind as for tell me what is one polar bear?” The unex- pectedness of the question some- what startled Mr. Victor. “Why,” said he, “a polar bear? oh, yes! a polar bear is an animal. 5 f Ng ‘ A large animal cov- : it ses Na ered with fur.” meen ge wn Vap sien: With a puzzled look Ni scan ge XK: the Italian thanked him AKT) igh \ . for the information and de- S Ney parted. } Ni Copyright ty Fath, 190. Presently he return- rH m0 i min ( DS ‘\ wi AN Ga \W JUDGE'S FAVORITES. ed.“ Excuse-a me for is Vi, lz SFT BERTHA GALLAND, trouble you again, i s Ous- Dans -1 Arch Comedy beheld thy birth, and smiled— Meester Veector, but She is thy foster-mother, blithe and tender: will your be go" good ‘as Officer! Why don't you stop that fight over there?” Yet something in thy nature sweet and wild Buc Pouice—“‘Aw, go'n! It ain't on my beet.”" Breathes of emotional, of tragic splendor. for tell me where do one ‘With " Forest Lovers" cast, ‘mid shades and flowers, polar bear live ?” Sing on, fair child, unconscious of thy powers. “Where does he “Ah, yes, yes! Thank you Meester Veector. He sits on one live 2" echoed Mr, Vic- cake of ice!” The Italian started out with a sparkle in his eye. tor, “ why, let me see—ah, yes ! he lives at the north pole.” Curiosity impelled Mr. Victor to call the man back. With protestations of gratitude, but with a serious look on his face the “Say,” he queried,“ what are you so anxious to know about Italian retired, In a few minutes back he came. polar bears for 2” Meester Veector, excuse-a me for trouble you so much ! But will you “Itis thees- way,” replied the Italian. Yesti:lay my friend, tell me, if you please, Meester Veector, what does one polar bear do?” he die, and hees family they want-a me for be one polar bear for Do!" exclaimed Mr. Victor, wondering what his interlocutor was de organ. But sit on one cake of ice! Me! Ah, no, no! I after, * why the only one I ever saw sat on a cake of ice.” nev-a will sit on one cake of ice, no!” Mow. MOUNT. . ws See THE PREPARATORY COURSE. Mrs. Urton—"' Yes, our cook is a perfect old reprobate. We can't endure her any longer: Mr. Upton in- tends to discharge her when her next month is up.”” Mrs. Jonesurrn—"* Why does n't he discharge her at once, or when her present month expires ?" Mrs. Urton— Oh, he wants to put It off five or six weeks. He ‘s only just begun taking the nerve tonic.” comicbooks.com