Judge, 1905-10-14 · page 18 of 20
Judge — October 14, 1905 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This six-panel comic satirizes a white traveling salesman ("George Sleepwell") who hires a Black porter ("Pink") to forcibly wake him for an early train. The joke centers on the porter's literal interpretation of his job: when Sleepwell refuses to wake or dress properly, Pink physically carries him onto the train—naked and without clothes—to "earn" his dollar tip. The satire targets Sleepwell's unreasonable demands and assumption that the porter will simply obey without question. Pink's determination to complete the task "strenuous-like" and his refusal to lose the dollar creates darkly comic situations where the passenger's own carelessness produces ridiculous consequences. The dialect used for Pink's speech reflects early 1900s racist stereotyping conventions of Judge magazine, though the porter is portrayed as more competent and principled than the hapless white employer. The humor derives from role reversal and the salesman's humiliation.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1, Georoe Steerwett—" Here's a dollar, Snowball! You've got to earn It! The train leaves this hamlet to-morrow a.m. at six-nine—there isn't another choo-choo out of here till Friday. Me for to-morrow, you understand. I'll want to sleep—don't let me. 1 may show fight—don't let me. Get me on the train. Savvy?” Pr (ihe porter — Yas, indeed, sub. Ah'l get yo" onter dat train. And do 3. Pink (the porter)—"‘Excuse me, suh, but it's two minnits apast six, an’ dat ar train starts at six-nine 5. Geonoe Suzerweit—'‘Let me down, you biithering black baboon —I haven't got my clothes!" Pinx (the porter)—"‘Ah'm gwine ter let yo’ down on dat ar platform ob de cyar. Doan’ know nuffin ‘bout no cloes—dey wasn't particklerized in de spec- {fications. Dis am de six-nine an’ yo'll be on it in er secon’! "* GEORGE SLEEPWELL, THE SLEEPY 2. Pink (the porter) —"'Six o'clock. suh. Ah done call yo" twicet befo’. Ef yo" doan* mek some move in one minnit Ah’s gwinter earn dat dollah strenyus- like, sub! "” . Grorce Sueerwett—“Ab. go to—huh—ah— —um— —. 4. Georce Siezrwet—'tGol darn your impudence. you—you—you can of stove-polish 1" ° ’ Pink (the porter) —"‘Ah know, suh, but mah conshunce won't ‘low me keep dat dollah less'n Ah earns it! Ah’s got ter git you onter dat train.”* 6. Georce Surerweit—"'l can see my finish—the county: jail at the next station for going around with a southern exposure. Curses on that conscien- tious coon |"* Punk (the porter) —"Ah never worked so hard fo’ a dollah befo’ in mah life!" COMrRIENT 1906 BY JUDGE COMPANY PUBLISHERS, 225 FOURTH AVE. MEW YORK DRUMMER; ALSO PINK, THE PORTER. comicbooks.com