Judge, 1909-05-22 · page 10 of 16
Judge — May 22, 1909 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes the early automobile craze and consumer debt culture of the early 1900s. The top illustration shows genteel people observing geese by a fence—a contrast to the chaos below. The main story concerns John Butts, a financially struggling man who writes to automobile manufacturers claiming he wants to buy a car. His actual scheme: secure free trial vehicles from competing firms for weeks at a time, allowing him and his neighbors to enjoy rides without purchasing anything. His wife correctly identifies the absurdity—he can't afford a suit, yet expects to use luxury automobiles. The joke's satire targets both the automobile industry's aggressive marketing tactics and consumer irresponsibility. Butts exploits manufacturers' competition and desperation to place vehicles. The punchline—"the auto craze will be over then!"—mocks the speculative bubble mentality: he assumes the fad will collapse before payment is due, making his scheme consequence-free. The bottom cartoon ("Bona Fide") appears unrelated, showing a suspicious interaction with a tramp claiming credentials from a "correspondence school."
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“THERE ARE OW THAT summer is at hand and the motor craze is in imparted John Butts, sitting down to supper be- fore a dish of steaming biscuits, “I've let several auto mobile firms know of my wish to buy a suital “ What nonsense !"" exelaimed Mrs. Butts, the middle of the floor to stare at him,“ You can’t even Tord a new suit of clothes, let alone an automobile !"* ersisted the dur- * However, I've notified those dealers, as I said, tranquil Butts.“ All our neighbors will be enjoying auto rid ing the coming months, and we may as well be in the swi * You talk like a crazy man “Forbear, my dear, till you hear me out. I've given eight dif- ferent firms the tip. Asa result, Mr. Rattleoff, who has very neat Lazy Lubbers Oh, yes"m, ‘pon me word! GEESE KEEPING IN 1 got me diploma from a correspondence school wid me.” ing to send up one of these, with an experienced for us to try for three weeks or so. Then the Skidsmobile ny has promised to follow in with one of its th vated us and our friends whirling around the country 4 more, After that, I've arranged to have a Blue Devil machine from another competing firm, and for another month we'll be throwing our dust back at our envious neighbors. That's ten weeks! Then for three or four weeks more the Crush Company " “How in heaven's wonders do you expect to pay for any one of * motors at the end of the trials, when you won’t have a cent » than you have now?” Don’t need a cent more, The auto craze will be over then!"" touring cars, to k the “RONA FIDE, Suspicious old lady—* Naow, look a-here. Be ye a regular tramp?”