Judge, 1920-07-10 · page 11 of 36
Judge — July 10, 1920 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Passengers" by Walt Mason (Judge Magazine) This is a humorous essay illustrated by Ralph Barton depicting stock characters encountered on train travel. The cartoon shows a cross-section of annoying fellow passengers in a railroad car. Mason catalogs the archetypal train nuisances: the restless, watch-checking businessman who frets constantly; the garrulous politician who won't stop talking; the obnoxious child running wild; the pipe smoker whose unpleasant tobacco asphyxiates nearby travelers. The subtitle's caption—"I'll Find the Same Old Bunch of Men, the Same Old Chestnuts in the Cars"—suggests these passenger types are universal and tiresome fixtures of American rail travel. The satire targets not specific individuals but rather the predictable annoyances of public transportation itself—the recurring personality types and behavioral transgressions that made train journeys tedious. For modern readers, it humorously documents early-20th-century travel complaints that remain relatable despite changing technology.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Vit Fino tue Sate Oro Buxcu or Me tue Sate Otro Cuesrxurs ix rae Cars Passengers By Warr Mason Illustration by Raven Barton the TRAV a journey :D westward on a train, to fair La Jolla sea which was safe and stne—or so, at least it scemed to me. For I grew tired of being fried, in sum mer, by the sizzling heat, of packing round a frozen hids in winter, ‘mid the snow and sl And here, where calm La Jolla sits, upon a cliff, above the thog all the waves, the weather bureau throws no fits, the gro time behaves. And on the train were many you'll always sce, while there’s a train upon the rails, until we males, the same old bunch reach eternity The restless passenger was there, the nervous chap all read who'd often cuss and paw his hair, because the train His watch he drew from out its pouch about ten ich action added to his grouch, and made his hair a shade more gray. The other pas. sengers he bored, as men with fidgets always do; he never slept he never snored, but walked the train the long hours through I’ve traveled on a thousand trains; on every one this pilgrim rode; he fussed until he soured his brains, and cussed all branches of the road There was the friendly delegate, who wished to talk of many why the blamed old train was late, and cke of cab: It seemed to make his heart rejoice, as he to hear the rolling of his voice, which He was a most familiar guy ers know was so blamed slow million times a day, wh things; bages and kings. ignited punk cigars. drowned the racket of the cars. nu who called men by their given names, and, with a breath gesting rye, he joshed the children and the dames. I've ed up and down the land on many trains, by day and night, and always found this skate on hand, to rob the trip of ght There was the pert and noxious kid who made the pilgrims and every sassy thing he did seemed cute and He scampered up and down the train, and played sly tricks with strangers’ hats. till people longed, and longed in vain, for packages of rough on rats. I’ve traveled through the desert wild, wherever there are tracks of steel; and always there’s a nasty child to make the trip one long ordeal The well-bred children stay at home, in helpful schools, where knowledge reigns; the juvenile smart alecks roam about the land on railway trains. There was a man who smoked a pipe in cars where s nokir s allowed, and his alfalfa, smoked unripe, asphyxiated all the crowd. [ve traveled almost everywhere, v click and clank, and always that cheap boob is there, with his old briar, foul and rank I'm glad the long, long trip is o'er, and [ sit here beside the sea, and watch the sharks climb up the shore to bite some pieces ave! its del sore and sad clever to his dad erever car wheels ut of me Some day I'll journey back again, away from waves and har bor bars, and find the same old bunch of mea, the same chestnuts in the cars. ink books:com=