Judge — September 2, 1916 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This R.B. Fuller cartoon depicts two fishermen in a boat above an underwater mining or dredging device. The caption reads: "I've got another nibble, Joe. When I hook this one we'll quit." The humor appears to be a visual pun playing on fishing terminology. What the fishermen believe are fish "nibbling" at their lines are actually contacts with an underwater mechanical apparatus (likely a mining dredge or submarine device). The joke suggests they're mistakenly interpreting mechanical interference as successful fishing, planning to quit once they've "hooked" what they think is a large catch. The cartoon likely satirizes either incompetence, misplaced optimism, or perhaps technological disruption of traditional activities—the fishermen remain oblivious to modern machinery interfering with their work.