Judge, 1904-01-09 · page 5 of 16
Judge — January 9, 1904 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This six-panel comic strip satirizes a con artist character named "Nervy Nat" who exploits a newlywed couple on a train. The groom, "Mr. Noocroom," and his bride represent affluent but naive honeymooners. Nat systematically manipulates them—first stealing the groom's sleeping-car ticket by flattering him as a "well-known clubman," then exploiting the bride's sentimentality about newlyweds and babies to insert himself into their intimate moments. The satire targets both Nat's shameless social climbing and fraud, and the couple's gullible materialism and sentimental affectation. The final panel, where Nat indignantly threatens to patronize "some other road," inverts victimhood—he plays the insulted party despite his obvious con. The humor relies on recognizing turn-of-the-century train travel as a common setting for such petty swindles and social pretense.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Nervy Nat—" Now, wouldn't this sidetrack you—this ignorant, ordi- nary cow-and-chicken valet to be having a sleeping-car ticket? It will never do. I can use it myself, as | particularly wish to leave town to-day.” Mr. Noocroou—" Duckle daddies won't mind if its baby-boy goes out to the smoker for a few minutes, will It?"" Nervy Nat (10 himsel/)—"**B. and g.," or I'm a well-known club- man! He ts surely starting in soon to leave ‘ duckie daddles. Nexvy Nar (to himse//)—“ This is a great opportunity to see what honeymooning is like. She thinks It's ‘baby-boy’ come Yack. She's sore on him, and I don’t blame her." Mrs, Noocroom—" It's real mean of you to leave me all this time. You haven't kissed your duckle for nearly three minutes."” Nervy Nat—"‘ Don't be alae bane , That brand-new hubby of yours is a quitter and ‘I'm only a voluntee: Mrs. Noocroom—"' Help, George! Porter! Police!"* Nervy Nat—“' Oh, very well, madam. | will retire to my own seat since you don't appreciate my disinterested sympathy.” Noocroom—‘ Help! help!"* 6 Nervy Nat—‘‘ Mark you, | shall patronize some other road here- after.”” NO. 6.—NERVY NAT AND THE BRIDE AND GROOM. comicbooks.com