Judge, 1917-01-13 · page 6 of 28
Judge — January 13, 1917 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from Judge contains several satirical pieces reflecting early 20th-century concerns: **"The Wandering Gaumers"** (poem with illustration) mocks gluttonous travelers who eat constantly and excessively during journeys, yet remain thin—an absurdist observation on appetite and digestion. **"The Silver Lining"** presents dark marital satire: a husband consoles his suicidal wife by reminding her he has life insurance on her—implying her death would benefit him. The joke's brutality reflects period cynicism about matrimony. **"The Bills"** (parody of Poe) humorously depicts post-Christmas financial burden—bills arriving relentlessly, collectors calling, excuses needed through autumn. Relatable domestic anxiety. The bottom illustration shows a woman claiming suffrage interests while admitting her "principal diversions" are duck-shooting and golf—satirizing wealthy women activists as privileged dilettantes more concerned with leisure than genuine political engagement. Overall, the page targets contemporary anxieties: conspicuous consumption, marital discontent, holiday debt, and feminist hypocrisy among the comfortable classes.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
WHY MR. OURANG LOST HIS JOB AT THE RIBBON COUNTER The Wandering Gaumers ‘OW this is a song of the munchers; The always—and—everywhere lunch- ers The tireless and hunger-mad crunchers; Of the people whose O72eME? g jaws 2 Defy all the laws ‘ Laid down by the medi < cal hunchers, AY From the start of a trip till they finish, Their appetites never diminish. I'm endlessly fussed Over why they don’t bust And how, alway’ stufling, they're thinnish! They start with a dozen fried chickens And bread cut as thick as the dickens; \ bushel of pie L never should try ) name a full list of their pickin’s Be the distance ten miles or a hundred, They eat all along—oft I've wondered How humans could hold Those edibles cold That down their «sophagi thundered! I'm perfectly frank when I state it [never could see how they ate it Y u'd think their insides ‘00 large for their hides— Who ever saw aught that could mate it! [am oftentimes tempted to say When I witness some grub-gauming jay (Some time when I'm reckless I may'!) “The hog-car’s out there On a siding somewhere You've got the wrong train, by the way!” Strickland Gillilan. Mr. Tennyson's justly celebrated brook had nothing on the high cost of living. The Silver Lining I WAS after the domestic t I have nothing to live for,” com- plained the wife, bitterly You seem to forget my life insur- ance,” replied the husband, who was, of course, a brute. Quite Impossible “All things are possible,” quoted the rlor Philosopher. Except some peopl Mere Man. added the The Bills (With the usual apologies) Christmas bills! What a world of merriment gray January kills. How the bills keep on arriving By the dozens in each mail, While my weary pen I'm driving Over reams of paper, striving To frame excuses stale Into some artistic stall That will stand ‘em off ‘till Fall And the tintinnabulation of the ‘phone in- duces chills, It’s bills, bills, overdue Christmas bills— Collectors on the telephone with bills Maurice Swit Blighted Affections She—That woman is in love only with herself. He—Well, if her case comes up before me she gets the alimony at sight. Such a Gamble Daphne—Marriage is nothing but a lottery. Phyllis—Ves, you never can be sure what sort of presents you will get The Voice of Experience “Ah! who can describe love?” ex- claimed the elderly spinster. “Why, it’s like—it’s like toothache of the heart,” replied the girl of 16, who surely ought to know Visitor—Are you interested in the suffrage? _ Mother of eight children—Oh, yes. That. and duck shooting and golf are my principal diversions in my spare moments. comicbooks I { the postman with the bills,— ES es