Judge, 1905-07-29 · page 4 of 18
Judge — July 29, 1905 — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes **explorer Perkin Warbeck's** claimed expedition to the North Pole. The caricatured Warbeck, shown with exaggerated features, recounts his polar ambitions in the main text, which humorously details his preparations and boasts about polar exploration. The cartoon depicts Warbeck as a somewhat buffoonish figure—his heavily accented German dialect in the text ("der pole," "vy") suggests he's a comic foreigner. The satire mocks both his grandiose explorer pretensions and the era's fascination with polar expeditions (a major 19th-century obsession). The bottom cartoon shows an automobile accident with the caption "Used to It," suggesting Warbeck's reckless nature extends beyond polar ventures—additional commentary on his incompetence or foolhardiness.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
- EXPLORER PERKIN WARBECK OFF FOR THE POLE. Y DEAR CHUDGE—Mit feel- ings vich ofercome me I ab- broach der task you haf intrusted to me ohf discofering der nort pole. In der worts ohf der fa- mous Cheneral Row chesty vens- ky, if I discofer der pole I vill told it myselluf, If I do not dis- cofer der pole you shall hear abouid it from somebody else. If my many friendts t'roughout der worlt und in Chob Hill do not at first reckonize me in this Cherman dialect disguise they vill undershtood it vas a leetle trick. Der nort pole iss English, but eferyvhere on all sides it is sur- rounded py a strange tongue. So ven I leaf Ni York mit a shlightly twisted spooche maype I chin like der natifs ven I hit der pole—yes ? Anudder reason vy I vish to eggs- plore der arctics in a disguised woice iss dat I shall not vish my remarks to be reckonized ven dey congeal alretty und thaw out in der shpring ohf umty-um, ven my friendts in der relief exped my last ng abouid in der peauti- «mosphere. Ve vill now nen to der prelimina- ed to pitzness. [use amen because ven a ex- Perkin Warbeck, who will dis- cover the north pole. discofer worts floa ful polar putareverent 3 ries und pro der wort plorer shtarts fer der nort pole he maype vas only abouid a mile from der chumping-off blace—wat? Thaf alvays had a desire to dis- eggsercises was ofer I ventedest to Philadelphia, und so on und so forth, until I vas clear ouid ohf der country und in Chersey. 1 vas alvays crazy to go to blaces; so, as I set, I ventedest to Chersey, und now I go to der nort pole. Thus it vill be seen py der observant und intelligent reader dot my life shtarted on a colt day und has been grow- ing a leedle mite more vintrish und frosty efer since. Purty soon right quick I be vun peautiful ice sickle—yah ? Zwei year now I dink I go to der pole, und I been shtudying all abouid it, More as two hours each day py der clock I talk him ofer mit der iceman, und he toldt me how to treat der ice-cakes so dey go right avay qvick und leaf only a leedle vetness, like some peautiful tears. Then I go to Ni York und see Mr. van Wyck und Mr. Morse, und more as a dozen fellers alretty who haf dis ice pitzness down fine, und dey haf let me in on der groundt floor. So ven it comes to der pole ice I make a sign und look pleased, und lo! der ice vill be gone und I valk avay mit a couple ohf million dollars in my vest-pocket. Der nort pole can't beat dot trick—maype it ain’t light early enough in der morning oop dere to play in der same class mit dem Ni York early birdts. I dink I like der nort pole mit a choyfulness. Der day iss sigs months long, vich iss not an orichinal dis- cofery ohf mine. But I haf discof- ered sumdings else. Dot gifs you fifteen year alretty to pay a thirty- day note, und dot vas a grand idea. A climate like dot must not be heldt back. It must be dragged into der limelight if it costs money to do it. Anudder peautiful ding—der night iss joost as long as der day—und vat you dink? You go in der efening und court your gal, und you court her steady fer fife months, und den catch der late car und get home a cofer der nort pole. Ven I look back ofer my brief und glorious career I see now I vas born fer dot very pur- _pitzness mit der iceman.” poseness. I vas assisted into der worlt on a eggstremely frigit day in der vaist ohf a vinter vich made a hit mit der oldtest inhabitants fer colt- Py und py I trafeled und hit oop mit der Maine climate, vich Anudder time subse- ness. shows how my lines vare cast in chilly blaces. quently I gafe oop a profession to shtart a Democratic Nuisance paper in der Pine-tree shtate. It vas a mighty colt day ven I dit this, I vas bent on reforming dot portion ohf der United Shtates, but der shtiff prohibition climate vich blows t'rough der vhiskers oop dere vas against me und der Democratic party. Soon, oh, how soon !—vill I nefer get ofer recollectioning—I saw dot it vas oop to me to go to der nort pole or bust. Idit not go toder pole. Ven der insholvency “More as two hours each day py der clock | talk ofer dis pole month before breakfast. You can do dot at der nort pole, und yet all dis time alretty der pole has been in an undiscoferedness. It vas a lifing shame. Led us so lif dot ven ve lie down to pleasant dreams, like a cara- van vich foldts its tents at efening und silently shkips ouid, ve shall vake up at der nort pole, vare ve can gif our note fer sigsty days und dink nothing more abouid it. Let us go toa blace vare you can shtart a paper or a magazeen und haf all the fun you vant before your paper bills come due, Led us emigrate mit a fortwithness to a climate vare, if you lofe a gal und court her t'ree hundert nights, you vill nefer lif to marry her, py jimminetty ! Please oxcoos me vy I don'd quit chinning abouid it und go to der pole alretty a long time ago. I dink I tind him in plenty time al- retty to be back py der opening obf der fall und vinter lecture season. CoN mene Rr USED TO IT. Don't you hate to run over a man?" Auroist—"'I did at first."* comicbooks.com