Judge, 1907-10-26 · page 10 of 16
Judge — October 26, 1907 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a comic strip following "Nervy Nat," a character apparently dismissed from the police force who's now working as a nanny/caretaker pushing a baby carriage. The humor derives from Nat's constant scheming and moral shortcuts despite his new humble position. The satire mocks working-class opportunism: Nat steals cigars from his sleeping employer, flirts with a French maid while neglecting childcare, and nearly allows the carriage to roll into a fish pond while distracted. His repeated exclamations ("buffalooed," "jumping bullfrogs") and affected French phrases underscore his pretensions. The strip appears to satirize both the character's inability to reform and the era's class anxieties about unreliable servants. References to "club-foot," "Paresis" (suggesting syphilis), and "the force" (police) suggest Nat is a morally compromised figure unsuitable for trust—a common character type in early-1900s American humor magazines.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1. Nervy Nat—" My first morninj Ik with old club-foot. I sincerely hope nothing happens to buffalo me to-day, as I rather fancy my position. 1 wonder wbat O'Toole would think could he see me. However, it is not as degrading as being on the force.” 3. Nervy Nat—" By heck! but this is goodly! Bon jour, Marie. Fine autumnal morning, Je ne sals pas ‘Tne waio—"'l know you not, sir." Nervy Nat—"*Quite so; but am | not as fair to look upon as ze cop on ze beat?” Tue Maro>—** Oul, oul!" Nervy Nat—" We, we is good. Tarry a while and converse. Wilt?" 5. Tue mato (as her charge starts to roll down the walk)—"* Mon Dieu! I shall the grande discharge receive!"* Nervy Nat—" Jumping bullfrogs! look at that! I forgot we were on the down-frade—and old Paresis Il. headed stralght for the fiah-pond" I'm buffaloed!"” 2. Nervy Nat—"The only good habit this old derelict has Is falling into the arms of Morpheus just at the psychological moment. Now, | was just perishing for a perfecto, so | will proceed to annex one. Sleep on, old horse, and do not awaken until I tell you."” 4. Nervy Nat—‘And now that our respective cargoes are asleep, an ex- change of ideas might be beneficial. | quite agree with you that Ruffy Fluf- fles is a flirt. And, ‘pon me soull ‘tis not so grave a fault—eh, mademol- selle? Shall we not promenade a bit?" but it was unavoidable, I've been told that plenty of cold water is good for the gout. I will aim to convince this old stiff of that. Farewell, Marie! I'll meet you to-morrow night. Come on, now, old gamefoot, and let me pull you out of this and reason with you anon.”” NO, 21.—NERVY NAT STILL ON THE JOB. COPYRIGHT 1907 BY JUDGE COMPANY, FUBLISMERS, 225 FOURTH AVE, NEW YORK. NOTE—The First Series of Nervy Nat's Adventures ts now ready, handsomely bonnd, tn boo! for postage when ordered by mail, Address JUDGK COMPANY, 225 Fourth rm. Price, 75 cents; 10 cents additionn! ‘Avenue, New York. comicbooks.com