Judge, 1919-12-20 · page 10 of 36
Judge — December 20, 1919 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Explanation for Modern Readers This 1919 *Judge* magazine page satirizes American men's dependence on borrowing matches—a social habit the author treats as absurdly symptomatic of national character decline. **The Main Satire:** The article "The Curse of Matchlessness" mocks how ordinary men will shamelessly approach strangers (even diplomats or royalty) to beg for a match, yet cigars of the era constantly went out, creating perpetual need. The satire suggests this reflects broader moral weakness: Americans are becoming a "nation of chewers" rather than smokers because they won't carry matches. **The Illustrations:** The top cartoon shows Santa Claus with children, captioned about putting "this heart" in a stocking—likely part of a separate holiday piece. The lower drawing depicts a casual street or park scene with multiple figures. **The Point:** This is gentle social mockery of masculine etiquette and planning failures, treating a mundane inconvenience as emblematic of national character—typical of *Judge*'s satirical approach to everyday American life.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
on of Such Things, show that individual matches 3. 3,657,519 lights from cigarbutts, cigarette stubs, and smoldering pipes were supplied on demand; and an even eight million smokers became chewers because of lack of fire. This last should give us cause to pause and ponder. Are we to be- come a nation of chewers—just because we haven’t a match ready when we tuck the weed between our jowls Why is it that men, ordinarily ashful, will buttonhole perfect (or imperfect) strangers and plead with them for a match? It is a notorious fact that present-day cigars go out two or three times | in the course of their smokable length. Why i provide for such emergencie Sit near Or a working fire-engine? Or learn to rub t ] together? } If we will insist on forgetting to carr ] refusing to do so, what will the other n us? Suppose you, Smoker, walked up to some fore diplomat or king or prince (of which there promises to Drown by \. B Watcen be a dearth) and braced him for a match. What do Xaas Eve ¢ he'd think of our national courtesy? Bally Supid—Will you please put this he ghtless smokers! | can’t reach ii The Curse of Matchlessness prescription and a special permit from the ] before we can get anything on which to use an | By Ep Lee May Until then we'll go on in the same sweet old borrowing | ONATHAN BIGGS was returning home to Nutley, way J N. J.,with arms bulging painfully with bundles. The Sic semper tyrannus tobaccus! fter was the only thing he had ordered to His chin rested comfortably in some soft His Evident Impression bundle his wife has asked him to bring home. His Hey, there, Sorrel-top!” called an impatient « between his teeth the rapid fire restaurant. “Gimme two over, stack ¢ for Biggs was light- cuppa Java, and git a hump on 3 ed and youn “Sa-a-a-ay!” coldly returned Charmian, the waitress As he nosed uncertainly through the thronging “Whadda ya think this is, anyhow—yer birthday? suburbanites at the station, he felt a light touch on his sleeve and a politely gruff voice saying, “ Excuse me, old man, but have you got a match? My sto; 1 I haven't a lig commuter’s ticket was held light d his lips embraced a smile mya! See ———_—$—_————————— e’s gone out—and it. You know, we smok Big s was acquitted of the ch of murder in the first degree. 7 was out three minu ! jur claim of self-defense was held } justifiable All of which brings us to nt national habits: that of bor consideration of one of our imp ta rowing matches. Of course, Biggs’s case was exceptional and yet typical How often we hear it said on all sides of us, to us—we say it our- | selves, “Gotta light?” Statistics for the fiscal year end- ing midnight December 25, 1919, compiled by the Society for the Pre- + the dash-board comichooks.