Judge, 1904-08-20 · page 5 of 16
Judge — August 20, 1904 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This comic strip satirizes a heatwave through the misadventures of "Nervy Nat," a con-artist vagrant. During extreme summer heat, Nat boasts he'll stay cool through various schemes: a "turtledove receiver" (unclear device), a hammock in a "frappe pavilion," and other dubious methods—all while mocking the sun itself. The joke culminates when Nat arrives at Farmer Sorrelgrass's house and discovers he's been frozen solid in the farmer's ice house. The farmer then thaws him out with scalding water, causing Nat to suffer the opposite problem. The satire targets both Nat's braggadocio about outsmarting nature and the era's extreme weather challenges. The rural dialect ("Wa-al," "b'gosh") and vagrant character were common Judge stereotypes of the period.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
is Nervy Nat—"' Gee! they would have to get a seven-foot thermometer to register the heat to-day. But with this turtledove receiver I will beat old Sol out.”* Nervy Nat—“‘I'll just sling this hammock in yon frappe pavilion, and there will be at least one cool individual in the county. If | stayed out in this sun any longer I'd be only a faded blossom. some brand-new hot-weather curses.”” 1 really need 3. Nervy Nat—''Oh, I don't know! Perhaps yes? Now, old Sol, do your durndest! Fricassee the entire population, and fry the highways and sizzle the saplings and grill the grass if you want to, but Nervous Nathaniel has you pounded to a pulp on this trip.”* Farner Sorretcrass—"' Wa-al, durn my overhalls! ef thar ain't one 0° them dinged hoboes froze stiff in my ice-house! An’ in my hammick, tew, b'gosh!”* Nervy Nat—'‘ What In the name of Lieutenant Peary do you keep your ice so cold for? Why, I've frozen to an icicle!" 5. Farmer Sorretorass—'I'll jest thaw ye out when I git ye to the house.”* Farmer Sorrevorass—'' Thar, gosh dumb ye! Guess that orter lim- ber ye up, ye sneakin’ tramp! Marthy, give us thet other pail o° b'ilin’ . water.”” Nervy Nat—"'I'm sure it is awfully good of you. | belleve if you put me next to the butter and milk they would keep for a week. I wouldn't charge you a cent, either. My heart is still warm." Nervy Nat—"‘Ouch! After all the trouble I took to get cooll If I'd been wearing a thermometer the mercury would be doing some ground and lofty tumbling.” NO. 38.—NERVY NAT COOLS OFF DURING THE HOT SPELL. comicbooks.com