Judge, 1913-07-19 · page 7 of 24
Judge — July 19, 1913 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"Easier" cartoon (top):** Shows a wrecked automobile with two well-dressed men observing it. The joke plays on impracticality—when the car owner says they need to get it to a garage quickly, the passenger suggests it would be "easier" to bring the garage to the car. This satirizes absurd logic and early 20th-century automobile culture's growing pains. **"Perfecting the Weather" article:** Mocks the then-contemporary proposal to establish polar weather observatories for better forecasting via wireless transmission. The satire suggests this technological optimism is misplaced—nature will behave as it always has regardless of human measurement efforts. It's skepticism toward emerging scientific hubris. **"The Man with the Conundrum":** Features wordplay—a riddle comparing a claw tool to a corrupt politician who "taxes the pull" (extorts from lawbreakers). The pale clerk's frustrated reaction suggests the joke landed as intended: clever but perhaps groan-worthy. **Context:** These pieces reflect early 1900s concerns: automobile proliferation, scientific advancement's promises, and urban corruption.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Perfecting the Weather 'T IS now proposed that we establish weather observatories near the North and South Poles. The idea is that the observers there can send by wireless the daily data as to winds and other things, and from this more accu- rate predictions may be formulated. Having established these polar observato- ries, we may expect a few words of cheer along in July and August; but, aside from them, we cannot anticipate much. Once they get to working the weather, men will probably tell us that we will have to set up an observatory on the moon, so that the interplanetary waves can be charted. Meantime, the weather will go right ahead weathering in the way it has fol- lowed since Adam went out without his overcoat just after the fall. Aye, money talks, as you can see; 1 heard it on the fly. The only thing i Was simply, to me Sir, good-by!"" oe ER EASI jing to do is to get it to the nearest garage as soon as possible. Passenger friend—Wouldn't it be easier to bring a garage here ? The Man with the Conundrum “ ‘A RATHER neat little idea has just occurred to me,’’ says the man with the serrated whiskers and the dilatory sidling up to the desk of the pale ing with the spluttery fountain pen. “Yes, yes! Go on! You interest me * growls the pale hireling. “It is in the nature of a conundrum, so to speak.”” “So to ask, you mean,’’ humphs the other. “Er—well, yes, perhaps. It is this: What is the difference between a small steel tool with a claw on the end and a crooked politician who extorts money from law-breakers because of his influ- ence with the powers that be?’’ “Allright. Just to make conversation, what is the difference?” “One pulls the tacks and the other taxes the pull.”” And the man with the serrated whisk- ers glides joyfully from the room, while the pale hireling splutters ink all over himself as he jabs fiercely at the desk with his fountain pen. Wits are sometimes sharpened on dull minds, = — a ee A STUDY IN BLACK AND WHITE comicbooks.com