Judge, 1924-09-13 · page 43 of 72
Judge — September 13, 1924 — page 43: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes **Prohibition** (the ban on alcohol sales, 1920-1933). The title poem nostalgically describes using a leather brief case to smuggle homemade liquor ("Eau de Vie") from illegal stills into town—a common practice during Prohibition. The cartoon below shows a bartender and patron discovering police surveillance ("the place is under suspicion"), depicting the cat-and-mouse game between bootleggers and law enforcement. The "Go to the Head of the Class" jokes mock Americans' casual disregard for the law: children reinterpret famous patriotic images through a modern lens of Prohibition-era lawbreaking ("Sit Down! You're Rocking the Boat" replaces Washington Crossing the Delaware). The final item, "See the Pint?" with its reference to "Half a pint...onward!" (parodying Tennyson's "Charge of the Light Brigade") continues the mockery—suggesting Prohibition is failing and alcohol consumption continues unabated despite the ban.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘The Old Leather Brief Case | ‘to dear to my heart are the scenes of my childhood, When fantasies thirsty present ly : them to view; | Phe orchard, the hopland, the hard cider wildwood, And every rum spot second infaney knew: Phat unconscious stream, the sparkling ( River Phe chaser White Rock and the katzen- 1 pill; The Ford of my father, the joyriding flivver, And c’en the brown brief ease that hung by the still. \ The Eau de Vie brief case T hailed as a treasure. For often at morn when T went to the town, I found it the cloak for an exquisite pleasure, Delightful and kickful as creature could down, How ardent I seized it with hands that were glowing. And quick with the bottles began it to fill, Until Phad jammed it with joy overflowing. j And crammed it with riot cooked up in the i still. “i CHORUS i Cry “75 B xs Yon Op Timer—Shay, what's the officer doin’ here? Bartenper—The place is under suspicion. Go to the Head of the Class Teacher (showing class a picture of Washington crossing the Delaware)— Now, can any little boy or girl tell me the name of this picture Small Voice in Rear—Sure. “Sit Down! You're Rocking the Boat.” Go to the Head of the Class Teacher (showing class a piclure of Washington crossing the Delaware 1 tell me Now can any little boy or g the name of this picture? Small Voice in’ Rear —Sure. “Sit Down! You're Rocking the Bc ays g ash aan wwe any we fin" re See the Pint? Prohibition is making progress. —Vews Note. Half a pint, half a pint, half a pint onward! — \Funnybones /~ 1 birt in the hand is bad \ table: manners. \ Fudge will pay $5 for cach one pr