Judge, 1919-12-20 · page 5 of 36
Judge — December 20, 1919 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Explanation for Modern Readers The cartoon depicts Santa Claus carrying a child, heading toward a house—illustrating the caption about Santa agreeing "to do a little favor for old 'Doc Stork'" during a house visit. This is a dated euphemism: "Doc Stork" refers to the stork delivering babies, so the joke plays on Santa as an accomplice in childbirth or fertility matters. The article below, "Letters to the New Rulers of the World" by Stephen Leacock, is a satirical piece addressed to plumbers. The first letter complains about a plumber's poor service and high-handedness, sarcastically suggesting plumbers now wield such power they're like rulers. The satire mocks how essential tradespeople had become—or how they acted superior to their employers. This reflects early 20th-century class tensions and the growing power of organized labor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Drwen by Cauvent Sarrn Santa Acreep to Do a LittLe Favor ror OLp * Doc Stork” He Was Goinc Vistr That Particutar House Letters to the New Rulers of the World By $ Nonsense Author of of Mr. Leacock's the kitchen sink and the now that e has ber, we can i In this, the t werful autocrat ¢ 2 been ¢ ein demeanor of th NuMBER To x Prumper very dear Sir 'T is now four hours since you have been sitting under the sink in my kitchen, smoking. You have turned off the water in the basement of my house and you have made the space under the sink dry and comfortable and you are sitting there. 1 understand that you are waiting for the return of your fellow plumber who has gone away to bring back bigger wrench than the one that you have with you. The moment is therefore opportune for me to write these few lines which I shall presently place in an en- e and deliver to you on your departure I do not wish in any way to seem to reflect upon the ap parent dilatoriness with which your work has. been done. I am certain that is only apparent and not real. I pass over the fact that my house has now for two weeks been without an adequate water supply. I do not resent it that you have spent each morning for a fortnight in my kitchen. I am not insensible, sir, to velc TEPHEN LEACOCK “Behind the what n Beyond, © voices We have |. and the he consciousness t vill lumber has been properly as been verbally meted o te of than! Mr meared across hi Ml in favor of av the charm of your presence there under the sink and | re nize the stimulus which it affords to the intellectual life of my cook. I am quite aware, sir, that all of these things are outside of the legitimate scope of complaint For | understand that they are imposed upon you by your order. It is the command, I believe, of your local union that you must not use a wrench without sendir for an assistant; itis an order of your federated brother hood that you must not handle a screwdriver except in the presence of a carpenter and before witnesses; and it is the positive command of the international order to which you belong that you must not finish any job until it has been declared finishable by a majority vote of the qualified plumbers of your district. These things, no doubt, make for the gaiety and variety of industry, but interpose, I fear, a check upon the rapi of your operations. But what I have wanted to say You find yourself in possession of what used to middle ages mystery—something i which ot to you, good sir, is this be called in the which you can do ar