Judge, 1909-01-09 · page 6 of 16
Judge — January 9, 1909 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from Judge magazine contains several humor pieces reflecting early 20th-century American attitudes: **"Possum Hunting Jingles"** uses dialect humor common to the era, depicting possum hunting as a Southern/rural pastime with phonetic African American vernacular ("En hint ob cummin' blizzahds"). The satire appears gentle—celebrating hunting tradition rather than mocking participants. **"Circumstances Reversed"** and **"A Wise Decision"** present crude racial humor: a Black man asks for help, but is redirected to climb a fire escape instead; a sheriff debates whether a Black suspect's corpse is worth transporting. These reflect the casual racism normalized in early 20th-century mainstream publications. **"Common Profanity"** is a pun-based joke where inanimate objects curse. **"Shop Talk"** satirizes an artist through a whiskey-bottle painting anecdote—genteel middle-class humor. **"A Suggestion"** mocks suffragettes, a contemporary political movement, through a child's crude interruption. The page prioritizes verbal humor and social satire typical of Judge's demographic—educated, urban readers comfortable with period-typical racial stereotyping.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
POSSUM HUNTING JINGLES. E noff win’ whirl de leabs Fare Aunt Hannah git her goosebe En hint ob cummin’ blizzahds. De long gray clouds ob snow, De thistie’s los’ ets blossom ; Who 's det in de syeamo’? Why, howdy, Mis amo ch Possum? Possum huntin’ time! Possum huntin’ tim Thrash det tree en shake Climb up, li'l bey, ¢ Down in de swampy hollow midnight Ah'm glad to be in Di In possum huntin’ time! HELP WANTED-AL ONCI » CIRCUMSTANCES REVERSED. Mister, would youse kindly t Down De possum dawgs En man he beats de b help a poor man as is all in, ¢ Jucular citizen Why, the fire-eseape on that skys and walk in on the top floor. De possum cling wid his han'like En et seem so hahd to But Laws: ice When et’ takes so long to ketch him, out, up,and in,” Possum — huntin’ DOR’ jj tim UDGE'S FAVOR : J Ere Possum huntin’ ZELDA SPARS INTHE BLUE MOUSE time: Froswamps we prowl en skeeh det owl W'en de red moon stahts to COMMON PROFANITY. 66 J'LL BE deviled!" said the ham. n “TIL be switehed !"" said the train. She cook det pos: sum prim . vi be darn id the s Hurrah! hurrah! foh TH be stumped!" said the tree, Dixie said the horn, In possum huntin’ aid the picture, t “1 be dammed!" said the stream. SERRE MERA > MERELY A SUGGESTION. M‘s is like a nail, A WISE DECISION. ‘ sf vtch rien ‘oft remind tia, then he's crooked, First deputy sheriff —" ful, now, and don't kill him.” | Te one een oft coming Us, Yai may he wire h seal ani ebay sheri—" What 's'the difference 1 do; the reward is for Id in dying leave behind us, been driven to it by a First deputy sheriff“ Yes; but Um afraid the reward won't pay for trans- ¥ For heirs and lawyers not accent, woman, portation if we can't take him in on his own legs.” ‘ | SHOP TALK. | A PHILADELPHIA dist ler who desired to a vertise whiskey visited the studio of an artist: and asked him if he could paint a bottle of whiskey, ant,” said the bottle that looks Don't sy nty of paint.” ex, it don asked the artist. “Neither,” replied the distiller, ‘TM take it straight."” A SUGGESTION. HE great suffragette F towered above the lead platform. “The time has come, she shouted, ‘when I want my name in every feminine mouth in the country! “ y feminine mouth?" echoed the small boy, who had sn ed in unseen, ‘Hully gee! Why don’t yer have HOW ACCOMPLISHED. ‘ xs, how did you slice this meat in your sandwiches so evenly 2” chewing gum “Oh, easily. We used my husband's safety razor.” yer?” ned Parson —* Ob, Mrs. Mrs. Hostess (eli z comicbooks.com