Judge, 1902-06-14 · page 7 of 16
Judge — June 14, 1902 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Judge* magazine contains several brief jokes and comic strips typical of early 20th-century American humor: **"Circus Day"** is a sentimental poem celebrating children's excitement about attending the circus—a major entertainment event of the era. **"Once in a While"** jokes that modern theatrical productions are novelties because they *don't* open with the tired old trope of a servant dusting furniture. **"A Close Guess"** plays on a child mistaking a man in a shell costume for a lobster—mild physical comedy. **"Smart Aleck Falls a Victim to His Own Joke"** (the main comic strip) depicts a prankster planning to frighten an old man named Dimsight by hiding in a washtub, but the old man accidentally falls into the water himself while searching for the prankster. The remaining items are brief wordplay jokes about courtship, family ancestry, and poison ("slow poison" as marital complaint). The humor is gentle domestic satire typical of *Judge's* middle-class audience.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
CIRCUS DAY. OWN the street the circus comes— Hear the trumpets, hear the drums! And at the procession’s head Sec the banners blue and red. Yes; the circus moves along Till it makes me sing a song— Sing a song of joy to know That this afternoon I'll go. And I'll see the fi Prance around the And the clown hold high the moon Of.the newspaper balloon. That is why I joyous glance Down the street and sing and dance, While my spirit gayly hums, + See the circus—here it comes!" ONCE IN A WHILE. ‘THAT play is really a novelty. Not one of the acts opens with a servant dusting the furniture.” \ A CLOSE GUESS. Miss Mermaio—* Oh, mammal! what is that funny thing in the shell—a lobster?" Mamma—'"* You almost guessed it, my dear. It's a man." ‘TEMPUS FUGIT. 66] DON'T like the man.” “Why not?” “Thadn’t been talking to him five minutes before he said I was an idiot.” “Why the delay 2” MERELY A JOKE. Mrs. Gabble—* Miss Olde says her family-tree is very an- cient.” Mrs. Spark—"Ves; it's a chestnut.” WELL OFF. ONES proposed to Mary NOT A HASTENER. last night. Mrs. Jones—''I can't bear to see you smoking, dear. Our doctor says it is a slow poison.” Ishewell fixed?” Mr. Jones— But I can’t smoke prussic acid just to please you and the doctor.” “Yes; she refused him. I'll make this old pump look jist as natcherel 2s ___This oid stuffed glove fs jst the very thing — ifn LN OS lowes 4 —Here comes old Dimsight. I'll hide in this Here comes old Dimsight —Itst watch him git seared to death,” Oto Duusicur—" How de do, stranger? Glad ter see yer!" SMART ALECK FALLS A VICTIM TO HIS OWN JOKE. comicbooks.com