Judge, 1914-07-11 · page 5 of 24
Judge — July 11, 1914 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Judge magazine page satirizes early 1900s urban tourism and shallow intellectualism. The top cartoon shows "Sightseeing Autos"—tourists in a vehicle gawking at city sights while conducting superficial observations. The left column's "Science Boots the Ball" mocks a pompous philosopher who reduces life's complexity to a shell's shape, then discards the object when proven wrong. The satire critiques pretentious intellectuals who adopt grandiose theories without genuine understanding. The right column's poem "In Maiden Meditation" romanticizes daydreaming, while "Nothing Doing" jokes about summer resort boredom—a woman complains a resort is overcrowded even with just one man present, suggesting sparse clientele. Overall, the page ridicules superficial thinking, pompous philosophy, and vacation ennui among the upper classes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
EE POT | | | i | ] e i n ; e { e _ | e ff 8 a | | , | : | J Al | 4 ; Science Boots the Ball : TRE GREAT philosopher, strolling on , a sandy beach, picked up a shell, almost as circular in shape as a plate and | fluted with regular cor- rugations, “What a melancholy thing is this!"’ quoth the philosopher. ‘‘Here is a reminder of nothing but death and decay, which never can be anything else. Here isa shell that once inclosed a primal form of life. Tossed by the waves on the beach, it is worn smooth by the action of the sands. All life is gone from it, and hence all its attraction has fled—for what attraction can there be in anything without life?”’ So saying, the philosopher cast down the shell. The next day he was astounded | og { SEEING THE SIGHTS to see the transformation that had been wrought in the object he had decried. A modish young woman had picked up the shell, and, after decorating it with a few flowers and jabbing a hatpin through it, had balanced it over one ear, in approved 1914 fashion. The great philosopher joined the admir- ing throng on the boardwalk, gazing at “ the young woman in the shell hat. “I was mistaken about the unattractive- ness of that shell,’’ said the great philos- opher. ‘‘As it appears now, it is a most satisfying and artistically appealing crea- tion, But I have the satisfaction of knowing that I am not the only great scientist to be put in the error column by woman.”” —Arthur Chapman. A real Socialist is one who lives liter- ally by the Ten Commandments. Who ever saw one? In Maiden Meditation ENEATH the trees I love to lie And gaze up in the summer sky. My soul is thrilled with thoughts sublime, Beyond all bounds of space or time. Iam uplifted! I expand With thoughts so beautiful and grand! My heart responds like vibrant strings Of golden harps and all such things. I cannot put my thoughts in words— They're like the raptured songs of birds. Subtle yet daring fancies seem To be the fabric of my dream. And this the burden of them all— What fashions will be worn this fail? —Carolyn Wells. Nothing Doing Madge—What do you think of this place as a summer resort? Marjorie—It’s the limit! I rented a hammock for the season, and there isn’t a single man here. comicbooks.com