Judge — August 6, 1927 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Judge Cartoon Page This cartoon satirizes early automobile safety concerns in mountainous terrain. The title "That's Bars in Them Mountains!" appears to be a pun on the common expression "there's gold in them hills," but substitutes "bars" — likely referencing both prison bars and the metal safety bars on early automobiles. The image depicts a chaotic mountain scene where numerous motorists have crashed or are in distress among scattered vehicles and fallen trees. The cartoon ridicules the dangers of early automotive travel on mountain roads, suggesting that driving in such terrain is tantamount to criminal recklessness or imprisonment. This reflects early-1900s anxieties about automobile safety, road conditions, and the technology's unpredictability, presented through Judge magazine's typical humorous exaggeration.