Judge, 1929-06-29 · page 17 of 37
Judge — June 29, 1929 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three separate satirical pieces typical of early 20th-century humor: **Top cartoon**: Shows a wrecked train with a porter being demanded to bring pillows, satirizing poor railroad service and uncomfortable travel conditions. **"Fourth of July" poem**: Mocks how American fathers experience Independence Day—not as a holiday for themselves, but trapped supervising children (Willie and his firecrackers) while family members use them as chauffeurs. The satire is that "Independence Day" offers the father no actual independence or rest. **"Or Build a Subway"**: A brief joke about a son who disappeared, returning with a beard, claiming he was "watching them repair a road." The humor likely references the frustratingly slow pace of public infrastructure projects (subway construction in particular was notoriously prolonged in early 1900s American cities). **Bottom cartoon**: A domestic scene where a young man tries to impress "the prettiest girl in the world" while fumbling with what appears to be an early telephone or communication device, satirizing awkward courtship in the modern age.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JUDGE “Porter! Porter! Bring me another pillow!” Fourth of July Driving sister to the station, ‘Taking mother for a ride; Father finds his day's vac Not just what the n plied. He must take good care of Willie, Guard him while his crackers last; No one seems to think it silly Hearing how his day is passed. Quite the old routine and truly Not a one to cause dismay— Save to Dad, who wonders : Why it’s Independence Day! —Cannott Carroun Or Build a Subway The long lost son returned home, with whiskers. “Where were you?” inquired . his anxious pa App Horrors or ‘Tenevistos “LT was watching them repair Getting a double connection when talking to the prettiest a road,” was the reply. girl in the world, 15