Judge, 1926-01-16 · page 9 of 36
Judge — January 16, 1926 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Satirical Commentary on the Florida Real Estate Boom This page satirizes the speculative Florida real estate bubble of the 1920s. The top cartoon jokes that fortunes made in Florida real estate come through marrying a realtor's daughter—implying the deals themselves are dubious. The narrative below depicts absurd land-flipping practices: a protagonist sells swampland to increasingly aggressive buyers who outbid each other without seeing the property. One buyer admits following the previous transaction to eavesdrop and immediately offer more money. The bottom cartoon shows an investor unable to locate his own lot in a swampy landscape, suggesting properties were often unmarked, undeveloped, or worthless. The satire targets both unscrupulous real estate agents and gullible investors caught in speculative fever, where land values bore no relation to actual utility or location. The proliferation of eight real estate offices in one building emphasizes how the industry had become bloated and predatory during this boom period.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“They say he made a fortune in Florida “Yes, he married a Realtor’s daughter.” dazed, silent behavior for refusal, and increased his offer to an even hun- dred thousand before I could get my breath. I accepted and he took a sign labeled Realtor from his pocket and sat down on the curb to make out the contract of sale papers. A bit shaken, I went over to get a package of cigarettes and after an hour’s hunt, finally found a drug store in a little corner of a great hall occupied by eight real estate offices. As I stopped to light up, a man who had followed us out to my property and back approached and spoke. “Are you,” he began, taking out a fountain pen and check book, “the owner of that block of land over- hanging the swamp? Don’t stop to reply,” he continued nervously, “be- cause I was following so close that I couldn’t help overhearing your con- versation with that man. I al knew he was a lousy crook—think of offering you a measly hundred grand for that piece! Will you take my check for two hundred and fifty thousand, accompany me to the bank in my real estate office where you (Continued on page 24) Investor—Now, let’s see, real estate! pene =— Daw where did that agent say my lot was?