Judge, 1916-10-21 · page 7 of 32
Judge — October 21, 1916 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Judge page satirizes urban male club culture of the early 20th century. The main cartoon shows two men on a ship's deck discussing membership in exclusive clubs like the Bancroft Club—social venues where working-class and middle-class men could escape domestic life, play cards, smoke, and socialize. The satire targets the **appeal of clubs as refuges from wives and family obligations**. Characters like Henry and Markowitz debate whether membership offers real value, mentioning card games where members can exploit easier players. The humor lies in the transparent male desire to escape domestic supervision. Supporting pieces mock various club types: the forgettable member who merely pays dues, the man obsessed with coconut shells (possibly referencing pretentious dining), and the complaint about poor food quality. The underlying joke is that clubs attract all types—some vibrant, most ordinary—yet all are necessary to the institution's functioning, particularly those funding it through membership fees.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘THE “What can you do there?” repeated “You could take Minnie there nights. you could attend their smokers——" on ladies’ advantages eme! Ain't I got enough from Minnie and by smoking without belonging to club: Them smokers and ladies’ nights ly a couple of nights a month,” persisted Henry. look what you can do the other nights. Play cards till the milkman comes, with no wife around to stop you!” play pinocie in them clubs t 1 Max, displaying a sudden interest. “Sure,” retorted Henry. “1 went up to the Bancroft Club, what I want you to join, and who do you think was sit ting there playing ten cents-fifty?— Aaron Haskell, Michael Shapiro —” “What. them easy marks cried —— STOWAWAY “Why they can’t T can beat them Do they play Markowitz excitedly. even meld straight. with my cards open there regelar? “Soitanly,” aflirmed Henry. Louis Robbins, too.” “Henry, Markowitz quickly, while opening the “ No Admission” door leading to his factory, “a man should mix with a lot of people like you say and be sociable. Are you going up the Bancroft. Club to-night? Maybe 1 go along!” “And suid Yearning for Harmony “L want to apologize, Blakely, for my rudeness last evening. 1 assure you 1 didn’t intend it “Well for the love of Mike mean it next time! I hate to see a man’s actions: and his intentions harmonize so poorly.” The Ruling Passion Robinson Crusoe reccived the cocoanut shell full of milk from the tray of his man y, and reached out his hand is it, boss?” asked the puzzled servitor, “Where are the pencil and the check?” The Necessary Evil HEA s one fellow in a club It’s hard to understand, An ordinary sort of dub You always have at hand. He never runs for offices And, if he did, he'd lose: He sits around, and all he docs Is merely pay the ducs Some fellow is a bon vivant, \ famous raconteur, The funniest you ever saw With laughter always sure Hut docs this other guy profound Help drive away the blues? Not he—he simply sits around And merely pays the dues Yet 1 suppose you really need All classes in a clu ‘The lad the revelry to lead, The man to boss the grub, ‘The wit at ev'ry board to be The banquet to enthuse- And alse A few to pay the dues Douglas Malloch necessarily, The Classic Kick JSinks—What is the limit in this club? Binks—The food comicbooks.com