Judge, 1911-08-19 · page 17 of 24
Judge — August 19, 1911 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a humorous story by Ellis Parker Butler satirizing public health campaigns of the early 20th century. Mr. Gimp becomes inflamed by a newspaper editorial advocating fly extermination—a genuine public health movement of that era, as flies were recognized disease vectors. The satire mocks his hot-headed, performative enthusiasm: he rushes home in a frenzy, strips off his clothes, and begins wildly swatting at invisible flies despite his wife's calm assurance that their house is already fly-free through proper precautions (fly paper, poison, traps). The joke targets not flies themselves but the type of person who becomes passionately, irrationally swept up in reform movements without thinking them through—all noise and action where none is needed. His earnest zeal disconnected from reality becomes the actual target of ridicule.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Aes ine MoIMER USED USE THE REVERSE SIDE FOR SANDWICH PURPOSES. MR. GIMP KILLS A FLY. N THE way home from the city Mr. Gimp saw an edi- torial in the newspaper that made his blood run hot. He turned to his neighbor, beside him. ds! Wretches!’’ he cried, forhe was ahot-headed little man. ‘‘Filthy disease carriers! I’m for this movement! I tell you I am for it! I'm in favor of killing the flies! Allof ’em!”’ “You are, hey?’? said Mr. Bopp. “Down with ’em!’’ said Mr. Gimp. ‘Exterminate ’em! That’s what I say! When I get home I’1l’"—— When he reached home he al- most ran up the front walk, and he dashed into the house breath- lessly, pulling off his coat as he ran. It was a hot day. Mr. Gimp threw his hat into the cor- ner of the hall. He pulled off his vest and threw it after the hat. His seventy-dollar watch struck the baseboard with a thump. “‘Martha!’’ yelled Mr. Gimp. “What is it, dear?’’ asked Mrs. Gimp, looking down the stairs. She was clad in cool white, and Mr. Mouse—" 80 GLAD 1 CALLED ELLIS PARKER BUTLER, Author of "Pigs Ii Pigs.” her face had the cool glow that follows a recent bath. “Now, don’t stand up there and talk, when disease and death menace us all!’’ shouted Mr. Gimp. ‘*Come down can’t you? Can’t you see I’m getting busy? Can’t you see I mean business?’”” DURING BANKING HOURS.” Mr. Gimp was rolling up his sleeves. Perspiration stood in great drops on the top of his bald head, and every moment he was becoming more excited. “What are you doing, Reginald?” “‘Doing?”’ shouted Mr. Gimp. ‘‘Can’t you see I'm going to kill flies? Can’t you see I'm going to rid this house of the deadly things? Can’t you see that, or are you stone blind?”” “But, Reginald,’’ said Mrs. Gimp softly, ‘I’m quite sure there are no 's in the house. Jane is very careful, and there is fly paper in every room, and fly poison all through the house, and a fly trap’—— **No flies!’ cried Mr. Gimp, suddenly jumping into the air and grabbing at space with his hand. ‘‘No flies!’ There’s one! There’s one of the death-dealing wretches! No flies!’" The utter irony of his tone moved Mrs. Gimp. She descend- ed the stairs slowly. “If there is a fly in the house, Reginald,’ she said patiently, “‘you must have let it in when you came in. And I doubt if you can catch it by jumping at it that way.” There was some doubt of it. comicbooks.com