Judge — April 5, 1902 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This 1902 *Judge* cartoon satirizes wheat market manipulation and monopolistic business practices. Two women—Gladys and Ethel—discuss a man Gladys admires. When asked how he made enemies, Gladys reveals he "cornered the wheat market successfully." The joke targets wealthy industrialists who controlled commodity markets by buying up supplies to artificially inflate prices, enriching themselves while harming ordinary consumers and farmers. The cartoon's title "A Winner" is ironic; Gladys celebrates this man's ruthlessness as a business achievement, but his "enemies" are the public he's exploited. This reflects Progressive Era concerns about trusts and monopolies. The elaborate dress and interior suggest wealthy society women discussing business titans approvingly, mocking how capitalist excess was socially celebrated despite its harmful effects. The page also advertises an art competition, offering ten dollars for hand-colored versions of this drawing.