Judge, 1904-04-23 · page 10 of 16
Judge — April 23, 1904 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes a character named Smith, a man of modest means pursuing an heiress. The top cartoon jokes that wealthy railroad men gained fortunes through accidents ("six wrecks")—likely referencing real railroad disasters of the Gilded Age that enriched investors through insurance and speculation. The main story follows Smith's elaborate social climbing: he economizes year-round (smoking cheap pipes instead of cigars, eating free lunches) to afford a fashionable summer where he pursues wealthy young women. The irony: his obvious financial desperation ("jumping job is dark despair") undermines his courtship. "Her Pipe Went Out" uses Victorian innuendo: a woman interprets a suitor's frequent visits as romantic interest, but his subsequent engagement to another woman reveals his visits meant nothing—the "smoke" (empty gestures) produced no "fire" (genuine affection). The bottom panels show Smith's hypocrisy: he dictates authoritatively to both stenographer and cook, performing authority he lacks elsewhere. The page satirizes social climbing, pretense, and the transparent desperation of the aspiring but unsuccessful gentleman.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
HOW HE GOT IT. “* How did he get his money ?"” “Railroads. He's been in six wrecks." EXPENSIVE. HER PIPE WENT OUT. ACCIDENTALLY hitting a target without aiming at it is often ex. ¢¢ LTE COMES so ofien to call upon me,” she mused, “that T ean pensive, as it sets a bad precedent. draw but one inference. Where there is so much smoke there must be some fire.” PREPARATION. ‘Two weeks later she was abashed JN SPRING the young man's fancy tums : opel thy to learn that he was going to marry tu where another girl, Then she recalled, bit- terly, her musings. “The smoke I saw,” she reflect- K, ed, “must have been that from a ir. # He cuts expenses that he may prepare c Pipe dream : To hook the pliant heiress from the 4 Q Z 4 Slang Isvsometimes/2/balm toa Lae co } broken heart. The blissful summer holidays he'll pass And radiantly shi ashion's glass Among the glittering throng of maidens Of budding beauty, Twelve per week, A WORD TO THE WISE. jumping job is dark despair! Instead of good cigars and cigarettes, 3 s Newcomer (in desperation)— ‘Auieietveab ‘pine: he smbkes’ with “, Tt\ eS “Since I nailed that * beware-of-the- thoughtful brow, dog’ sign on a tree we've had more And vows free lunch is, after all, & 3 y, tramps than ever before.” Old suburbanite— Certainly ! They know that if you actually had a dog you wouldn't waste the time nailing up the sign.” He even feels a slight Around the region of his live , 3. This is Smith dictating to his stenographer. And this is Smith dictating to the cook. HIS THREE WAYS. comicbooks.com