Judge — May 23, 1908 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a comic strip featuring "Nervy Nat," a character who encounters an elephant in what appears to be a circus or street setting. The narrative follows Nat's interactions with circus performers and the animal. The humor centers on Nat's brazen, opportunistic personality—he claims to have owned peanuts for circus elephants in his carnival days, then attempts to profit from the situation. When offered a legitimate contract worth fifty dollars weekly, he dismissively demands instead small payment, a season pass, and cigars "to fix my nerves." The satire appears to mock working-class con artists or hustlers of the early 1900s who used audacious bluffing and quick talk to extract minor benefits rather than accept formal employment. "Nervy Nat" embodies a particular American character type—the small-time grifter more interested in scheming than honest work. The cartoon reflects period attitudes toward street-level con men and hustlers.