Judge, 1912-02-24 · page 13 of 24
Judge — February 24, 1912 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main cartoon satirizes Eastern urbanites who romanticize the "Wild West" through popular fiction. "Mr. Washington Square" absorbs exaggerated Western stories from magazines, then naively expects to encounter the fictional version (greasers, half-breeds, squaws, cowboys) upon arriving in an actual Montana town. The humor lies in the gap between pulp Western fantasy and mundane reality. The four shorter pieces are unrelated humor: - **Phonetic Spelling**: A child misunderstands "seldom" as "sold 'em," creating an accidental pun about selling horses/wagons. - **Doesn't Count**: A woman marrying an English lord still counts as man-hating since nobility supposedly don't count as "real men." - **Misunderstood**: A former boxer (ex-pounder) seeking shelter is mistaken for an extortionist. - **Too True/Will-John**: Satirizes grocery fraud and political corruption, with an ambiguous final joke about "Smith's bill."
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
WHERE IS THE WEST OF YESTERDAY? Mr. Washington Square, after thoroughly inbibing the western spirit from western stories (with illustrations) published ia the magazines, decides to mingle with Phonetic Spelling. TEACHER in one of the lower grades was teaching new words to her pupils, and then, as an exercise, requested them to use the new words in sentences, The word “*seldom’’ was placed up- on the blackboard, and here is one of the sen- tences handed in by one of her boy pupils: ‘‘My father had a horse and wagon and seldom” (selled ’em). Doesn't Count. He—‘‘ Edith going to be married? I thought she was a man-hater.”” She—She still is. She’s going to marry an English lord.”” Fan—‘Why don’t you dance more?”’ Tan—‘‘Well, I’ve had five proposals already this season while sitting out dances in the con- servatory.’” arrival in Copperopolis, formerly Squaw City, Montana. A PERFECT UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THEM. the greasers, half-breeds, squaws, and cow punchers of the west of fiction. This shows his Misunderstood. “What is your occupa- tion?’’ asked the good woman, as she handed out the fourth roast-beef sandwich. “I'am an ex-pounder, madam. My delivery has become impaired, and I find it very difficult to get a bout,’’ answered the weary traveler. Thereupon the one-time pugilist took his leave, and the good woman mur- mured, ‘‘Poor fellow!’’ Too True. Little pounds of sugar, Mixed with grains of sand, Make the grocer’s bank- roll Gradually expand. Little schemes of Wiley The graft toundermine, And soon that grocer’s bankroll Is used to pay his fine. Will —‘‘What did you find out about Smith’s bill?” John—‘‘Smith.”” comicbooks.com