Judge, 1919-06-07 · page 3 of 36
Judge — June 7, 1919 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Cartoon Analysis: Judge Magazine, June 7, 1919 This cartoon satirizes rural infrastructure development in post-WWI America. Two men in hats discuss city water systems being installed in a rural section. The first man assumes pipes mean immediate water access; the second explains the reality: infrastructure work prioritizes asphalt street paving *before* completing water lines—a typical bureaucratic delay frustrating rural communities. The background shows a steam roller and construction equipment on hillside terrain, emphasizing the visible (paving) over the invisible (pipes). The joke critiques government inefficiency and misplaced priorities in public works projects, where cosmetic improvements proceed faster than essential utilities. This reflects broader 1919 tensions between modernizing rural America and actual implementation timelines.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JUN -7 1919 32143 Volume 76 J G Number 1964 H $5.00 a Year U D E 10 Cents a Copy “THE HAPPY eAIEDIUM” New York, June 7, 1919 Drown ty Saxromo Tovsnr +A. C. “T suppose you have city water all through this section.” “Not yet; they aren’t going to put the pipes in until after they get all the streets nicely asphalted.” 3