Judge, 1911-11-11 · page 8 of 24
Judge — November 11, 1911 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical piece mocks suburban New Yorkers ("Suburboids" or "Subourbons") who claim to love country living but constantly seek excuses to visit the city. The humor targets their contradictions: they enthusiastically abandon their suburban homes for trivial reasons—a streetcar color change or delayed clock strikers—yet hypocritically invite city guests to weekend visits so they can discuss New York. The accompanying illustrations show chaotic domestic scenes, likely depicting the frantic disorder of suburban entertaining. Flagg sarcastically notes these suburbs exist for children's welfare, while mocking their heavy alcohol consumption as proof "alcohol is a food." The piece opens by referencing "Lucile" (likely a popular book of the era) as typical guest-chamber reading—satirizing suburban pretension and conformity.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A Week End Visit By James Montgomery F 1 1 y OME very nice people, indeed, live in “* Lucile,’ the one book you are sure to find the suburbs of New York—very in a guest chamber.’ nice. Some are very kindly and well- bred, and there are a number who are really talented. There are only two reasons for living in the suburbs—coun- try, they fondly and fatuously call it. 1, They like it—really, they do. 2. It’s so much better for Willy and Polly, and there is an excellent school here. The Suburboid is so nutty about the country he will jump excitedly at any excuse to come to town, even for a few hours, If he hears they are going to change the color of the transfers the surface cars give out grudgingly, from pink to brown, on the following Wednes- day, that’s enough—him for town! The Suburbette is just the same. If the news leaks out that the iron hammer- throwers on the Herald's clock are not going to strike three o’clock on Tuesday, as they are being oiled or something-- hurray! she’ll go in and see them not strike. Anything to get away from Lovely Manor for even a short time. So most of their lives are spent on the cars of the New York, New Monia, and New Ritis Railroad. When every ex- cuse for going to town is exhausted— temporarily—they invite city people to week-ends, so they can at least talk to some one about New York. Suburboids—or, as they are some- times called, Subourbons—are the proof that alcohol is a food. Enough alcohol is consumed in one normal Subourbon family of a Sunday to keep the Francis X. McNamara Fishing and Recreation Association petrified for two weeks. Now, we will suppose you and your superior seven-eighths have had an invi- tation to spend Friday to Monday with the Halsey de Borches, at their place, “The Louvre,’? at Lovely Manor-on- “The maid flew about, dangling from your wife's backbone."* Hudson. The De Borches are old comicbooks.com