Judge, 1931-09-12 · page 10 of 36
Judge — September 12, 1931 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Judge Magazine Page Analysis **"It's Worth Trying"**: A domestic humor piece where a man calls police requesting an officer station near his house to prevent his cook Olga from leaving. The joke plays on the servant labor crisis of the era—he's so desperate to keep household help that he hopes police presence might intimidate her into staying. The "railroad flare" caption suggests she'll flee anyway. **"Farm Relief"**: A conversation between struggling rural businessmen (Abner and Steve) depicting Depression-era economic collapse. They discuss unsold inventory (china dogs), failed small businesses (filling station, waffle shop), plummeting land values, and failed ventures (miniature golf course). Their solution—planting wheat—reflects farmers' hopes that agriculture might recover. The dialogue critiques government inaction, with characters appealing for federal "relief" programs. This likely references early 1930s New Deal debates, when agricultural aid was contested. Both pieces use vernacular humor to address economic hardship and labor shortages affecting ordinary Americans.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
It’s Worth Trying “H rtto—Chief of Police? Say, this is Milton Blodgett of 218 East Grant Street. Will you kind] station a policeman near our house? sure. If it’s necessary, I'll several of ‘em. Something You don't know the half nless_there’s a policeman near at hand, I'm aid...” “Afraid of what? Somebody been x threats? “That's it! We live in’ constant dread, my wife and I. I tell you it’s awful. Any morning we may wake up and find her gone—gone forever.” “Find who gone? What're you talk- Are they trying to kid- You don’t understand, Chief. It's Olga, our cook. She's been threatening to leave us, and we thought that if there was a policeman near she might possibly be willing to sta —O. R. Vittatn (to good gal)—Here’s a railroad flare in case you change your mind! Farm Relief “Wee Abner, how's things?’ “Pretty poorly, Steve, pretty poorly.” “Stock sell at all this year?” “Not a darn on You know that shipment of china dogs I laid in last fall for the Gifte Shoppe! Waal, I ain't sold hair nor hide of one of a “Same with me, old-timer—that tax jest about put my filling station out of business; it ain't been better than a drudge since I opened it. I tell you we need relief and need it bad. This price war on oil will jest about finish it off.” “How's Martha's Waffle Shoppe gettin’ along?” “Right slow, Abner, right slow. With the price of flour what it is, it’s all a body can do to serve a forty-cent blue-plate dinner and break even. “It sure beats all tarnation the way land values have fallen, You ts those two acres of meadowland along the hi, ay I sold last year. Well, the miniature golf course can't pay the mortgage, and I reckon I'll have to take them back.” “What you aimin’ on doing with “Waal, I figure the best thing to do is to plant some wheat there. Better than lettin’ it lie around idle.” “T think you're right, and I am fixin’ on doin’ the same. Only I sure wish those fellas up in Washington would do something to help us. We need relief and we need it bad!" —Rex Deane “—and there I was, with two spades and short-suited in clubs!” comicbooks.com