Judge, 1905-04-01 · page 16 of 16
Judge — April 1, 1905 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two separate cartoons depicting African American characters in dialect-heavy situations, typical of early 20th-century American satirical humor. **Top cartoon ("It Made a Difference"):** Colonel Bloodsucker asks Sam Sampson about fishing success. Sam philosophically responds that the answer depends on perspective—the fish's or the fisherman's. This appears to satirize how interpretation depends on one's vantage point, possibly commenting on labor or class relations. **Bottom cartoon ("Just Before the Razors Flew"):** Two men invite another to play cards, but he declines, claiming unfamiliarity with "that particular deck." The title suggests violence ("razors flew") may follow—likely a racial stereotype joke implying Black men fight over cards. Both cartoons use exaggerated dialect and caricature typical of minstrelsy-era humor now recognized as deeply offensive stereotyping. The satire targets Black characters rather than engaging substantive political commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
IT MADE A DIFFERENCE. Cotonet BLoosumrer * Well, Sam, have the fish been biting satisfactorily to-day ?” Sam Sanpuunn (philosophically) —* Wa-al, kun'l, dat depen’s altergedder on whedder yo" looks at it fum de stan’potnt ob de fish or de stan‘point ob de fisherman,” JUST BEFORE THE RAZORS FLEW. Whad’s de reason yo’ won't fine us ata little game ob cards ?* * I doan' know dat partikier ‘deck * ob cards, gents.” comicbooks.com