Judge, 1912-09-21 · page 11 of 24
Judge — September 21, 1912 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is an illustration accompanying a poem satirizing fortune tellers and crystal gazers—popular con artists of the early 20th century who claimed supernatural powers to predict the future, particularly marriage prospects. The image shows a woman gazing into a crystal ball in a wooded setting, dressed in a patterned dress suggesting mystical affectation. The poem mocks the practice: fortune tellers claim "prophetic" visions that "no others see," tell stories of "austere" happenings (often ominous predictions), and charge fees for their supposed supernatural insight. The final lines—"For visions needs no testimony; / And this maid's gaze then must inspire / A prophecy of matrimony"—offer sarcastic commentary: since visions require no proof, these fraudsters exploit people's desires (especially young women's dreams of marriage) without accountability. The cartoon ridicules both the charlatans and their gullible clients.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
comicbooks.com For visions needs no testimony; A prophecy of matrimony.—v. 4. 1”. And this maid's gaze then must inspire g a a vs ba = 4 5 5 3 c § R} > a a s < 4 w N < ie] | < n > 4 1S) uy) = b Find visions that no others see. Prophetic dreamers in the sphere They tell of happenings austere Or otherwise—but for a fee.