Judge, 1906-01-13 · page 16 of 16
Judge — January 13, 1906 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This six-panel comic strip satirizes both American con artists and British gullibility. "Nervy Nat," an American swindler, steals an idea about a wormless chestnut from someone named Chauncey Depot. He disguises himself as an elderly farmer-scientist and tricks the Royal Nut-Growers Society—portrayed as pompous, easily-impressed British gentlemen—into believing he's discovered a revolutionary scientific breakthrough. The punchline exposes the scam: when caught, Nervy Nat admits he merely planted a genuinely wormless nut (by chance) but claims he never promised there *weren't other wormless ones*. The satire mocks both the shallow vanity of British "society" and American entrepreneurial dishonesty. The cartoon also reflects period stereotypes of British formality ("'Pon honor!") versus American cunning.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1. Nexvy Natr—"'Chauncey Depot must have bean by hyer. I see he dropped one of his arfter-gorging ideas! By the Cheshire cheese! | have it! That little chestnut will bring me £25,000 if | work the game right. I must get a disguise.” 3 Nervr Nat—" Yes, gentlemen; this is indeed the discovery-of the age. These white hairs of mine were gathered during my years of\oil and experiment In trying to perfect this wonder, this boon to the humitn race. There, before you, sirs, is the fruit of a life's unremitting tol!—the wormless chestnut!" Tue Rova. Nut-orowers—"My word! Bah Jove! Extrord’n'ry! Bravo! ‘Pon honor! Blarstme! You don't say so?" 5. Rovat N. G, Sociery—'*Hi! Stop thief! Police! You've jolly well tricked us! The chestnut might not have had a worm, anyhow.” Nervy Nat—'' Now, just listen to that! That's a record bit of cere- bration for the sons of impervious Albion! I'll chase over to Piccadilly, buy a hansom, and sneak.” COPYRIGHT 1903 BY JUDGE COMPANY PUBLISMERS, 225 FOURTH AVE, NEw YORK Nervy Nat—"‘ Am I not the aged person? You know I'm supposed to look like a farmer? Yes, t's awfully unpleasant, of course: but I need the money. If I don't make that royal nut-growing bunch look like a cis- tern-swigging, gas-blowing lot of almanac-eaters I'm a toad!"* Treasurer N G. Socierr—' Sir, we have cut open the nut and found your claim strictly true—it 4s the wormless chestnut so long sought by science. All honor to yourself and your country, Americal And accept this £25.000 you have so nobly earned."* Nexvy Nat—''I don't care for the money; but for fear of seeming proud 4 will accepi-it and donate tt to charity.” Yankee swindler! Nervy Nat—" Well, you know darn well you only got me because | slipped on that banana’s walscoat. As to your impolite charge of being a swindler, did you find any worm doing lig!.t house-keeping in that chest- nut? No! you did not. [twas quite unoccupied. But of course I never said 1t was the only one.” ;