Judge, 1919-07-26 · page 8 of 36
Judge — July 26, 1919 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "A Vacation Ballad" - Judge Magazine Satire This page satirizes the working-class male's dilemma during the leisure age. The poem mocks "Boob Ben Adam," who takes a summer vacation but finds himself financially trapped—he must entertain the women at the resort (Alice and Mabel), learn to "jazz," and exhaust himself socially. The joke's punchline: he returns to the city envying manual laborers carrying hods (bricks), realizing he needs a raise just to afford leisure time. The satire targets early 20th-century gender dynamics and consumer culture. Working men were expected to perform masculinity through spending on entertainment and female companionship, yet their wages couldn't support this lifestyle. The moral warns staying close to the city is wiser than attempting costly vacations. The accompanying office humor sketches satirize workplace etiquette and gossip among clerical workers—stenographers, bookkeepers—reflecting the emerging white-collar office culture of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Fettow Surrerers A Vacation Ballad By Howaro Dierz Wil N June gave a hint of the coming vacation, \ boob, Ben Adam, put in a request And subsequent bulle n, For lo! Ben Adam's name led all the rest “la sen ins sitcase in hand, he set out on his pleasure. He fared to a popular summer resort Prepared for an oces And every old game that is catalogued Sport. ot bathing and leisure The ladies were there at the station to meet him, The usual gushing and summery clan Who thought it was only discretion to greet him In manner becoming the sex of a man So Adam was launched on his rest with a vigor Sufficient to cope with the dimples of May er of Alice’s up-to-date figure And Mabel’s attractive and innocent way The swag He learned mor Than ever he'd learned in his lifetime of days He learned what it costs to be strong for the women, And realized too that he needed a raise. of jazzing—a thing he was dim i No tennis or swimming or fishing or cricket Was Boob Ben Ac No afternoon nap in the shade of a thicket, No rest on the sand of the ocean's wide shore. m's unlimited store, Returned to the city which once he'd vacated To spend a vacation designed for the Gods. Our hero—the truth says it has to be stated Cast envying eyes on men carrying hods Which now seemed to Ben to be merely For lack of finances had halted his capers And made to his work for ua rest im return S THIS—(the rrowful end to our THE MORAL And may put 3 Wh Bi is satirical rathe he sea, and stay ¢ to the city The Office Code What's your push-button code?” One ring—-my stenographer breaks off consery yn with the kandsome bookkeeper she pats her hair into place she finds her notebook. When [get thor oughly mac arrives In Which Class Are You? There are two kinds of people: those who kiss and tell, and | those who ¢ Inexcusable Mrs. W “Then the wedding Mrs. F d—No; the gre s n the bride's mother. It was considered very bad Staged in the Open A (theatrically inclined)—What is your favorite play Mr. Ji Charley (baseball enthusiast) If I have any, I like to see a player steal second base on the hook slide Drown by Corsica 1 Gans Row Ob there gin it! ly, Miss. Nobody's thr ‘em nowadays oe comicbooks.com