Judge, 1923-11-03 · page 9 of 36
Judge — November 3, 1923 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis for Modern Readers This page contains two pieces of satirical content about salesmanship and deception: **Top cartoon:** A joke about a new maid claiming work experience. When asked for proof she worked for "Mrs. Van Etten," she claims to have "initialed lingerie"—implying she stole from her employer rather than legitimately working there. The satire mocks both dishonest servants and gullible employers. **"Sorts of Salesmanship" story by Walt Mason:** Contrasts two sales approaches for Jimcrow automobiles. A non-pushy salesman lets customers browse without pressure; the customer leaves impressed but unbothered. Later, an aggressive salesman visits the customer's home, using personal financial details and family pressure ("Your aunt...has boodle") to manipulate him into buying. The satire criticizes aggressive, manipulative sales tactics that exploit people's vulnerabilities and finances—a contrast with ethical "soft-sell" approaches. The "Jimcrow" brand name is simply the car model (not the segregation laws, which came later).
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Mistress—You say you eZ 2 New Maid—Well, mun, I've got some initialed lingerie. SORTS OF SALESMANSHIP EW MODELS of the Jimcrow car were lat isplay; and to the man- G y3 ager, ) “T fain would loo advertise so v but I’m not spending any groats, this season, truth to tell I am not buying any bus of any make or brand, so it is useless to discuss the snaps you have on hand. If I ean look upon your stock and not be ed to buy, I'll blow around at ten o'clock, and there refresh my eye. I like to rubber at the cars when models new are shown, to see them glittering like stars, each in a class alone. But men gather round, and make the language fly, and there they argue and expound, and make me want to buy. 1, upon upon your boa ways si ‘Come in and look,” McGarr replied, “vou'll be a welcome gent; and if you want to take a ride it will not cost a cent. Just rubber at the shining wains until vou sprain your eye, and don’t let fear disturb your brains—you'll not be asked to buy. And so I went around and gazed, and no one bothered me; I was delighted by Walt Mason and amazed—those cars were good to sec. And when I left that great bazaar, I said, “Those boats are grand, and when I get an- other car ‘twill bear the Jimcrow brand.” The Optimist—Glad my neck’s not so long as a giraffe. 7 worked for Mrs. Van Etten. What proof have you? But in the morning to my shack there came a windy jay, and he had a stack to boost the Jimerow dre “T REPRESENT McGarr’s,” he said, “where you dropped in yestreen, to look at autos painted red and others yainted green. We promised you'd be let alone while you were looking round, you'd not be asked to spend a bone, a shilling or a pound, But now you've looked we think it wise to hand you out some truth, or other auto-selling guys may lure you to their booth. We've looked your assets up since then, and know just how you stand, and you should blow some iron men to get a motor grand. Why use that old ancestral bus to take you anywhere? It er and raises such a fuss it makes the neigh- bors swear. You have three hundred in the bank, three hundred salted down, and you should can that ancient hank that so disturbs the town. Your aunt, who wears the widow’s weeds, has boodle in a can, and would) lend seeds to buy a new sedan. she you sundry Your grand- comicbooks.com