Judge, 1929-02-23 · page 7 of 36
Judge — February 23, 1929 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of "In Old Chinatown" Page This Judge magazine page contains a humorous story about Fred Berkowitz, trapped by "almond-eyed plotters" in San Francisco's Chinatown. The narrative mocks him through ethnic stereotyping common to early 20th-century American satire. The story involves characters named John Greenblatt Whittier, Philip Forceps (a dancer), and Leon Error—names that appear to be playful puns rather than references to real people. The plot hinges on Berkowitz witnessing something compromising, then being coerced to keep silent. The bottom illustration shows Philip Forceps's legs "gradually straightened"—apparently the story's comedic climax, suggesting physical torture or manipulation as "humor." The content relies entirely on period-typical racism, ethnic caricature, and casual violence presented as comedy—attitudes largely abandoned in modern satirical journalism.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
l Along about 3 p. In Old Chinatown m. the plumbers on our job felt the need of a little exercise Fred Berkowitz, Trapped by the Almond-Eyed Plotters, Again Gives Them the Slip had been and Benson and I ably ensconced be- ro. Jit- ters, Benson's man, was preparing our whiskies and soda, the kettle was steaming on the hob, and hob- stairs and houtside the wind was whistli The dinner dishes cleared away were comfo fore a glowing can of “Benson,” I said, lazily puffing on my Trichinopoly cheroot, “they call you the most surgeon in’ the world. about your most unusua “That is a poser,” laughed Ben- son. Benson is somewhat of a joker, although he looks more like the nine of clubs or one of the low f: cards. “Well, I should. say that the Philip Forceps .affair was the most peculiar.”” And, closing his eyes and going to sleep, he told me the following story. Philip For- ceps was a young pair of pliers in the employ of John Greenblatt Whittier, author of “Snowbloom.” He was pair of pincers whose duties were few; he would extract tacks and glass which had become imbedded in his master’s legs and every fortnight he would trim Whittier’s luxurious beard. But time passed and John Greenblatt Whittier fell on evil days. He was forced to trade Philip to one Leon Error for a handful of g beads and Manhattan Island. Error was at that time a dancer and Forceps used to stand in the wings and enviously watch Er an honest and upright orange How Philip Forceps’ legs gradually straightened ror's twinkling legs collapse to the applause of the multitude. One night he returned to his mod est hall bedroom on Evans Street. He was about to leap into bed when he happened to spy himself in the full-length mirror. He was astounded. His legs, which had always been straight as an arrow, were now curved Ii n bow. He rushed to the theatre to confront Error with the facts and found him out in the barn milking his cow, a Holbein, Error offered to take Forceps into his ‘If IT can't do it any other way. I'll have to use that brute Forceps,” he admitted. The dis traught young air of pliers accepted and Leon ERROR & FORCEPS Philip opened, spotted next to the trained leopards. From the first they were a (Continued act. comicbooks.com