Judge, 1919-10-04 · page 10 of 36
Judge — October 4, 1919 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This article by Chester W. Shaver is a humorous essay on flies, using them as vehicles for social commentary. The page contains two distinct political cartoons at the bottom. **The cartoons:** Both drawings depict exaggerated caricatures of congressmen from opposing parties. The left cartoon shows "How a Republican Member of Congress appears to a Democrat"—depicting the Republican as fish-like and grotesque. The right shows "A Democratic Member as seen by a Republican"—portraying the Democrat as simian and crude. These are partisan attack cartoons using crude physical caricature, typical of *Judge* magazine's satirical approach to politics. **The essay's point:** Shaver uses different fly varieties as metaphors. The "time fly" (the passage of time) humorously explains aging, vanity, and human preoccupation with appearance. References to "Pershing" (General John Pershing, WWI commander) and complaints about "Democratic postmasters" indicate this is post-WWI political content, likely from the early 1920s. The overall effect is lighthearted social satire wrapped in entomology.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Drown by Vangsoare Rovers Mrs. Gayly—Is your husband a sound sleeper? Mrs. Featherby—Do you refer to intensity or aud Flies By Cnester W. Suaren ‘tae is an endless number of varieties ot flies, among which the better known are the house, trout, horse, blow, air and time. Without outside help a single representative of each variety is the oc- casion of more or less disturbance, and all of them are almost as pestilential as the copious young man who assisted Pershing and other minor allied celebrities in winning the war. And no matter what variety is se- lected as an example, that variety is just about as nu- merous as blankets around a baby. Of all the registered flies the time fly is the most meadows while the oolakan, the ocelot, the army mule and the Ford would still be unheard of. By the same premise, the Pleistocene and M ages would still be at bat and the age cf C tion and Democratic postmasters would yet be fret- ting in the cocoon. The ordinary house fly is probably the best known. It has been interwoven with the life of man since the days of the indiscreet Egyptians. And its popularity would never have been shadowed for an instant but for the fleeting activities of the cootie. Anyone, offhand, can give a good descrip- tion of a house fly who has tried to snatch a wink of sleep aftera June meal. The steady customer at the Bon Ton Café or the August camper is also con- versant with this fly’s venturesome nature. This variety has given rise to the fly swatter, which, along with the oboe and the fishing reel, is quite an instrument. Every home has one. And_ there's many aman today who has been interrupted by a tantalizing buzzing while reading his paper and has started out in quest, only to give up eventually w hen the fly alighted out of reach on the ceilmg. swatting gets to be a mania. Every good husband who thinks anything of the peace and solemnity of his home is a tan. Not long ago there was a man so interested in swatting flies that he tiptoed out of the middle of his daughter's wedding, secured his swat- ter, amd returned in time to devitalize one that had roosted on the pages of “Oh Promise Me” before he was asked who gave the girl away. Trout flies ruin the disposition, while they make a man think he’s having a lot of fun. A trout fisherman will spend a week on a lonely creek living like a wolf and whipping the waters. If he gets two small fish in a day he’s prouder than if his wife had achieved twins. Horse flies bite kids when they are in swimming, and blow flies bite horses. This strange and subtle freak of nature has led to the coining of that seldom- azoic destructive. It has been engaged in its work of dev- astation for many years, and is still gomg strong enough to keep the guessing spir- ited. It is the time fly that makes gray hairs out of brown ones and changes the golden curls on Willie into a feather-edge. Itis respon- sible for the increase in trade in peroxide, and ac- counts for the active in- terest displayed in aniline dyes and Rouge De Lisle. It has also put the cold cream and toupee industry on a level with Oklahoma oil. If it wasn’t for the time fly no one would pass twenty-six. And, for that matter, if that insect hadn’t been vigorous for the past 50,000 years or so the ptero- 5, by LC. Puree A Democratic Member as seen dactyl would still be champ- How a Republican Member of C ing o'er the pre-glacial appears to a Democrat AND by a Republican ICOMMEDOOKSSEON