Judge, 1923-07-07 · page 10 of 36
Judge — July 7, 1923 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Explanation for Modern Readers This page satirizes the proliferation of **trading coupons** that retailers distributed with purchases in the early 20th century. The author complains that while wives demand husbands collect coupons (apparently redeemable for premiums), men have nowhere to store them—coupons get lost in coat pockets, accidentally handed to trolley conductors, or fall out during business transactions, embarrassing the carrier. The satire targets **merchant tailors** directly: the author demands they design a dedicated "coupon pocket" into men's suits to solve this problem. The joke is that tailors have already innovated "gathered pants," so surely they can add one more practical feature. The cartoon above shows three people sharing an umbrella in rain—unrelated domestic humor about voice training in Europe. The bottom cartoon appears to be a separate joke about a "second-story man" (burglar) and avoiding incriminating written receipts for gin—a nod to Prohibition-era sensibilities.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
To the Merchant Tailors by Stanley E. Rauh I" RITE in behalf of the men of this country who save coupons. Not that they follow the primitive instinct of accumulation in this connection of their own volition, but you, yourself, know the fate of the man who, returning home at eventide, grects his wife with naught but a kiss. What she wants is coupons. Really, it seems that To can get_a hundred or more coupons passed to me over the counter every week. But they never seem to h their destination “en mas They can't keep to- gether somehow. Maybe it’s be- cause they lack community spirit, but I'm prone to think it’s beeause I have no place to carry them. You see in my inside coat pocket. for instance, I keep transfers and when I put coupons in these pockets they are invariably pulled out and handed to the conductor on the trolleys without noticing. Of course he immediately thinks Lam trying to put something over on him and gets sore right away. Thave had many a narrow escape this way. Now, also Tam a salesman by profession, and in my inside pocket E keep my contract bl You see, I get my prospects all warmed up to the point of closure and put the finishing touches on my powerful sales Now, Mr. Jones, there you at on the dotted lin Mrs. Hiflite—I've decided that Edith shall have her voice trained in Europe. Mrs. Neighbor—That would be wonderful! But isn’t there some place fashion clasping one of those ex- in Asia? asperating coupons. ‘The prospect lets out a howl and laughs off the sale, In my vest pocket I keep my change and my cigarette case. Of course TI can keep them in my wateh pocket, but then it’s almost impossible to get the watch out—and one must keep that dentist appointment. As for my. side trouser pockets—well that's where [keep my handkerchief, and in my back pocket T keep my bill fold. That pocket is always crowded. It's up to you, merchant tailors of America, to devise a coupon pocket, and Tam sure the body of men who devised the gathered pants can meet and overcome this couponderous problem. I shear off. Sew long. wae The original second-story man. A plagiarist. tae “How shall I acknowledge receipt of a bottle of gin? I don’t want to put “And what does your father do?” anything incriminating on_ paper. “Pa? Oh, he’s th’ man what tells th’ city folks this is th’ first year we’ve “Just say communication had skeeters!” and contents noted.” comicbooks.com