Judge — September 13, 1924 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Last Shall be First" This cartoon satirizes competitive rushing to board a ferry, playing on the biblical phrase "the last shall be first." The narrative shows cars racing to reach the ferry entrance, with drivers increasingly frantic. The joke escalates through panels: individual cars compete aggressively, then massive traffic jams form as everyone rushes simultaneously. By the final panel, the ferry departs while chaotic crowds remain on shore—those who rushed hardest end up last, ironically proving the proverb true. The satire mocks modern impatience and the counterproductive nature of competitive scrambling. During the automobile age when this was published, ferry travel was common, and crowded boarding situations were familiar frustrations. The cartoon suggests that aggressive self-interest backfires: the first to race ahead ultimately become the last to board.