Judge, 1902-05-17 · page 10 of 16
Judge — May 17, 1902 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several satirical pieces typical of early 20th-century American humor: **"A Kangaroo Cradle Song"** mocks the reported bubonic plague affecting wallabies in Sydney's zoo using affected baby-talk dialect humor. **"The Bird That Was Too Gay"** is a moral fable: a vain tropical bird with brilliant plumage is hunted and killed, its feathers used to decorate a woman's hat. The satire targets female vanity and the fashion industry's cruel use of bird plumage for millinery decoration—a contemporary concern among naturalists and early conservationists. **"Miss Stone's Ransom"** references Ellen M. Stone, an American missionary kidnapped in Bulgaria in 1901-1902. The wordplay equates her (a "precious stone") with expensive gems, satirizing the high ransom demanded. The remaining short pieces contain mild domestic and shopping humor typical of the era, with no obvious political content. Overall, the page reflects early 1900s concerns: animal welfare, women's fashion excess, and international news events.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A KANGAROO CRADLESONG. A dispatch states that the bubonic plague has affected the wolleby, the small kangaroos in the zoological gar dens of Sydney, N. S. W., and that the gardens have been closed. OCK-A-BYE, wolleby, babe kangaroo ; "Oo is sick willeby—wolleby's ‘oo “o's got de boo-bonic plague, like its dad? Mudder's sick wolleby, dot it so bad ! Rock-a-bye, wolleby, in de big cages When de 200 closes de humano will rage Mudder ‘Il be nigh an’ Wren ‘oo dets well "00 she'll sing ‘00 a sonyg— all play at ping-pong. ‘THE BIRD THAT WAS TOO GAY. (Afabe) A BIRD that lived in a tropical forest had a pied-piper plumage of which it was extremely proud. * Look at my gorgeous foliage,” the bird would often say to its neighbors. “I have the rainbow taking the count. Compared to my display, the so- lar spectrum is a light fawn-color and the window of a millinery store a week before ster looks pale and uninteresting. My spinach is certainly all that the most crit- ical could desire, and the artist who copies me will have to rise early in the morning and stay awake until the night-owls have quit business.” The other birds held their peace, and really thought that the bird with the efful- gent thatch was some- thing to be envied. Then a hunter came along, spied the bird, which was the most startling object. that ever disturbed the serenity of a tropical Tue storn (bringing twins) MISS STONE'S RANSOM. “What is a precious stone, pa?” “One that costs big money. “For example, pa?” “Ellen M. Stone, my son.” RELENTING. THE GIRL HE LOVED. landscape, and immediately harvested the owner of the lurid feathers. The plumage was used to decorate the hat of a gentle creature who lived in the temperate zone. Moral—Fine feathers make fine femi- nine headgear. WW. 808 HOLLAND. SURFEITED. HE wireless telegram has been ‘The subject of much song, And now we think the time is ripe To greet the pingless pong. SPOILED HER SHOPPING. . THERE!” said the saleslady to the cus- tomer, “this silk matches your ri bon, and it is the first piece I have taken down." * Humph !" said the lady shopper in some anger. “You needn't’ bother to wrap it up. T would- n't trade in such a store. If a person cannot put in half a day matching a rib- bon it isa pity. These shop-girls are getting entirely too forward.” MOVING-DAY DI- PLOMACY. Wife —“ How lucky that the truck- man didn’t break any- thing but those cheap plaster casts.” Husband —* No luck about it. T knew he had to break some- thing, so I told him to be particularly care- ful with those casts, as they were the most valuable pieces ot bric-a-brac that we “There's no denying this is a frightfully shabby trick to play any man.”’ Convict—‘Ah, mum! if I'd only got de girl I loved I never would hey come to sech an end as dis.” PyiLantHRopist: Convict—" No, mum. “You would not?” She killed de guy dat got her in less *n two weeks after de ceremony.” comicbooks.com