Puck, 1878-04-10 · page 6 of 16
Puck — April 10, 1878 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical comic mocks wealthy Wall Street financiers by paralleling their schemes to a get-rich-quick swindle. Mr. Stickinthy Mud, a broker, leaves Wall Street seeking fortune in Africa. He creates an elaborate hoax involving "natives," wild beasts, and exotic adventures—advertising it to attract wealthy "excursionists" (tourists). The satire suggests that Wall Street brokers use similarly deceptive schemes to exploit investors. The cartoon compares financial manipulation to outright fraud: Mud orchestrates fake "discoveries" and manufactures interest to profit from gullible clients' money. He's ultimately rewarded with a medal, implying that successful deception in finance is celebrated rather than condemned. The joke targets both broker dishonesty and investor credulity.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
PUCK. A TALE FOR YOUNG BROKERS IN WALL STREET. 1. Mr. Stickinthy Mud, having a new idea 2. Where he settles down, and is waited on 3. Attacked by the natives, he declares him- for making a fortune, leaves Wall Street, and by the gay and festive Native, feminine gender, self in. The Natives being, as you will per- makes for the wilds of Africa. singular number, and dative case, ceive, also retired Wall-Streeters, who caught the same idea ahead of Mr. Mud, there is no- thing else left for him to do— TO AFRICA! ion and Tiger Hunts, ith or without danger, ‘according to fancy. Reasonasie Rares! 7.. Their ingenuity is rewarded by the arrival of a 8. Mr. Stickinthy Mud (being in large horde of English excursionists, who are initiated with the Natives) arranges an attack, into the mysteries of the South African Preserves. and then declares himself Mediator. g. He succeeds’ in bringing about amicable to. Mr. Stickinthy Mud generously offers 11. He is rewarded for his disinterested be- arrangements with the Wild Natives, at the ex- to reclothe:the unfortunate excursionists—at a nevolence by acquiring a fortune, and receiv- pense of the excursionists' clothing. slight profit. ing the medal of the Humane Society, which he pins on the lappel of his coat—and lives happily ever afterwards. comicbooks.com