Judge, 1930-12-06 · page 9 of 36
Judge — December 6, 1930 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Explanation for Modern Readers This Judge magazine page contains three satirical pieces: **"These Days" (top):** A husband dismisses an old clothes dealer at the door, claiming he has everything he needs. The accompanying anecdote jokes darkly about two Michigan mail bandits who posed as deer hunters for three weeks—satirizing how desperate criminals must become. **"Learn a Trade a Day: Auto Minding":** This is the page's main satirical article, mocking the informal "parking attendant" hustle of the era. Men would stand in streets with rolled newspapers, directing parked cars' positioning, then demand tips from returning drivers. The piece sarcastically presents this as a legitimate "trade," describing how attendants occupy waiting time with gambling, gambling, or tinkering with cars they don't own—then hassle drivers for payment. It's satire on both petty street hustles and the gullibility of car owners. **Bottom cartoons:** Minor domestic humor about visiting a chicken coop and writers starving in cities. The overall tone mocks working-class economic desperation and informal street-economy schemes of the 1920s-era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JUDGE These Days Wifey—There’s an old clothes man at the door, Hubby—Tell him Vve got all I if ne A bandit’s life is a dangerous one. Two mail bandits captured in Michi- gan had existed three weeks disguised as deer hunters. “Why don't you get a longer stick?” Learn a Trade a Day Auto Minding tNptna parked automobiles so they don’t run away is interest- ing as well as remunerative. Anyor with time on his hands and nothi on his conscience can learn this useful occupation. The only equipment necessary is a newspaper, which must be rolled and held in the right hand. As the driver enters the street and parks, this news- paper must be wav with comments such as “A little more this way—cut her sharp this w and hold it.” The watching privilege of this car then belongs to this parking director. And so on until the street is lined, both sides, with cars. Now for the actual car minding. Tot Reeh://~ The drivers have left their cars and it will be some time before they return. There are several w: in which this time can be utilized. Perhaps a crap game or handball will successfully consuine the waiting period. If the car minder is conscientious, however, he can actually sit in a car or two, fooling around with the clutch and brake and the gadgets on the dash- board, trying the cigar lighter and looking through the door pockets. ‘To vary the monotony he can honk the horn or step on the starter. After a couple of hours the real hard work commences. That is, try- ing to collect from the drivers as they return to their cars. A quarter here, . dime there, a dirty look some place else; all this amounts to something as do the arguments of indignant mo- torists sometimes. Neat week: Umbrella mending in California. 1 “Henry—you'd better wear your hat if you're going to the chicken coop.” —R. C. O'Brien If writers and artists starve in tics, it's their own fault, Real inspi tion is found in cellars. comicbooks.com