Judge, 1918-12-21 · page 11 of 32
Judge — December 21, 1918 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Six-Shooter Etiquette in Texas" This satirical article mocks Texas's reputation for frontier violence by presenting an 1870 Texas law prohibiting weapons at civilized gatherings—churches, schools, social events, elections. The joke is the *irony*: that Texans needed such a law suggests they were so prone to armed violence that legislators had to explicitly forbid guns at Sunday schools and dances. The accompanying cartoon shows seven women in fancy hats and dresses, likely satirizing how even "proper society" gatherings in Texas apparently required weapons restrictions. The article's sardonic tone suggests the "effete East" (refined Eastern states) didn't need such laws because they were naturally civilized, whereas Texas—despite its inhabitants' claims to propriety—required legal enforcement to prevent gunfights at social functions. The accompanying short humor pieces are unrelated filler typical of Judge magazine.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Drawn by Joux Heo, Ja. Six-Shooter Etiquette in Texas By Quaxer O'Bisuor EXANS have invariably insisted that no six- I shooter or rough-neck stuff be pulled at dances or Sunday Schools. They have ever been stick- lers for the proper thing in literature, science, art and sociability. It’s a safe 100 to 1 bet that in no State in the effete East can a law be found governing such functions similar to the following, which was passed by the Texas legislature away back in 1870: “Tf any person shall go into any church, Sunday School or religious assembly, any school room or other lace where persons are assembled for educational, iterary, or scientific purposes, or into a ball room, social party, or other social gathering, composed of ladies and gentlemen, or into any circus, show or public ex- hibition of any kind, or to any election precinct on the day of election, and shall have about his per- son a_ bowie-knife, butcher knife, fire- arms, whether known as a six-shooter, gun or pistol, dirk, dag- ger, slung-shot, sword-cane, spear, brass-knuckles, or any kind of knife manufactured or sold for the purposes of offense or defense, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.” Drawn by Catvent Sautu Ir Att His Letrers Were DeEtiverep Tue Hero’s Return in Utan The punishment was a fine of from $50 to $500 and the forfeiture of the weapons to the county. An addi- tional punishment of ninety days in jail was provided for subsequent violations of the law. The assumption is that it was considered quite the proper thing to carry any of the above articles of hard- ware at any function other than those named above. Intelligent Direction Customer—Where will I find the candelabra? New Floorman—All canned goods are in the grocery depart- ment on the fourth floor. A Last Call If you are contemplating any New Year’s resolutions on the subject of truthfulness, then you had better thank Aunt Susan for the pink and blue vase in December. This Way Out “T don’t see much use ingoing toadoctor,”’said the gaunt Missourian. “You pay him two dol- lars to tell you what isthe matter with you, when you can get for nothing analmanacthat willcon- vince you that there are ten times more things the matter with you than the doctor said.” Strangely Changed He (curtly)—Maria, I must confess I don’t understand you at all! She—Why, Albert! And you used to say I meant 30 much to you. comicbooks.com