Judge — October 11, 1919

# Lady Mary Chocolates Advertisement This page is primarily a commercial advertisement rather than political satire. It promotes Lady Mary Chocolates, manufactured by The Chocolate Products Co. of Baltimore. The ad capitalizes on post-WWI nostalgia by referencing American soldiers' experiences in France. The illustrated woman reading a letter appears to be receiving correspondence from a serviceman abroad, evoking emotional connection to the war effort. The tagline "The Kind He had in France" suggests these chocolates were supplied to U.S. troops and are now available for civilians. The marketing appeals to patriotic sentiment and romantic longing, positioning the product as a way to recreate soldiers' experiences or maintain connections with loved ones overseas. Pricing information and sample offers are included below.

# Judge Magazine, October 11, 1919 - "Another Labor-Saving Device" This satirical cartoon depicts a formal dinner scene with well-dressed diners seated around a table. The caption reads: "Table Maid—Anybody that wants more sparrow grass, hold up their hands." The joke targets post-WWI food scarcity and rationing. "Sparrow grass" is period slang for asparagus—a cheap vegetable. The humor lies in depicting wealthy socialites at an elegant dinner being served such humble fare, with the maid conducting the service like a school classroom rather than fine dining. The cartoon likely satirizes either food shortages/inflation from 1919, or the pretensions of the wealthy eating poorly during austere times. The title "Labor-Saving Device" suggests the maid's efficient mass-service approach mocks formal service traditions.

# Analysis This appears to be a dramatic illustration from Judge magazine showing a car with headlights on at night, positioned outside what looks like a building or house. The caption reads: "THE WEEK-END GUESTS TO WHOM, OVER THE PHONE, YOU DESCRIBED A SHORT CUT." The satire likely mocks the common social situation where someone gives driving directions over the telephone to weekend guests, only to have those directions prove inadequate or misleading. The car's prominent headlights and nighttime setting suggest the guests have become lost while following the poorly-described route. The illustration humorously depicts the consequence of relying on verbal directions—the guests arriving at an unexpected or wrong location, frustrated after their journey. This reflects early 20th-century frustrations with navigating without modern GPS or detailed maps.

# "The Down East Play" - A Domestic Comedy This is a humorous dramatic sketch titled "Dramatic Cartoons or Tabloid Plays for the Tired Business Man," credited to Kendall Banning with decorations by Lauren Stout. The sketch depicts a Christmas Eve scene in a Maine fisherman's home. The humor centers on a shipwreck rescue: while parents Hiram and Miranda read by the fire, their sailor son Seth unexpectedly returns home carrying a half-drowned sailor he's rescued from a reef. The comedy derives from the contrast between domestic comfort and maritime drama, and the family's simultaneous concern and casualness about the rescued stranger. The illustration shows the tired businessman audience as the actual subjects being entertained—satirizing leisure reading for exhausted workers.

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page This page contains three separate pieces of satirical content: 1. **"Not Applicable"** (Tom P. Morgan): A satirical etiquette piece mocking overly formal dining rules. It parodies pretentious social conventions about proper eating, suggesting such rigid formality is impractical in real life. 2. **"The Vase"** (F. Gregory Hartswick): A story about a crowd gathering around a Fifth Avenue shop window to admire a single vase. The satire targets post-futurism art and minimalism—mocking how people uncritically praise avant-garde art simply because it's presented as sophisticated. 3. **"Father and Son?"** (cartoon by L.C. Pinder): Shows two pairs of figures at what appears to be a shop window. The caption's meaning is unclear without additional context, but likely satirizes class differences or generational expectations. The page reflects early 20th-century satirical concerns with snobbery, pretense, and artistic fraud.

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page **The Cartoon "The Super-Jealous Suitor":** A couple in a canoe; the woman says "I love a canoe," and the man responds "Good Lord! Mildred, don't say that!"—his exaggerated alarm satirizes male jealousy and possessiveness. The joke plays on outdated social conventions where a man might irrationally fear his girlfriend's innocent enthusiasm for something (a canoe) as somehow threatening to him. **"Ballade of a Memory":** A nostalgic poem about Victorian-era domestic decorative objects (bolting-cloth throws, painted screens, bamboo easels)—likely satirizing sentimental romanticism about the past and the middle-class aesthetic of previous generations. **"Secrecy" and "Reform at Home":** Two brief satirical dialogues. The first mocks wealthy financiers hiding unethical profits while citing "patriotism" and "unrest." The second jokes that social reformers ignore their own domestic problems—a man can't discuss improper housing while his wife has converted his personal study into a sewing room.

# Analysis for Modern Readers This 1920s *Judge* article satirizes the replacement of traditional family photo albums with home movie cameras—a new technology gaining popularity among wealthy families. The satire targets upper-class pretension: wealthy socialites like "Mrs. William Wall Street" (a generic name mocking Wall Street types) are recording trivial domestic moments on film—a Maltese dog's growth, a baby's tooth emerging—as though these mundane events deserve cinematic documentation. The humor lies in the absurdity of treating ordinary family life as worthy of elaborate film production. The closing joke is political. The author imagines what *historical* films would show: "Pa Burleson Paddling Little Albert Sidney" and "Little Josephus Being Sent to Bed"—likely references to Secretary of War Newton Baker's children, mocking how self-important wealthy families immortalize even discipline moments. The cartoon below (captioned "He Doesn't Even Hesitate") shows a father casually filming while his child sits in a baby carriage and a woman operates beauty preparations—illustrating the article's point that fathers are enthusiastically adopting film despite being incompetent operators ("sometimes explodes").

# "Still Going Up" by Walt Mason This is a humorous poem about inflation and rising costs, illustrated by Ralph Barton. The cartoon shows a working man encountering price increases everywhere—his barber raises rates ten cents, prunes cost more at the grocer's, slot machines take his money without paying out. The satire targets the frustration of ordinary laborers facing continuous inflation. Mason uses the speaker's modest aspirations (a drink, a cigar, a lemonade) to show how rising prices deny even small pleasures to working people. The references to great minds like Darwin, Macaulay, and Huxley needing harmless recreation suggest that leisure isn't luxury—it's necessary for mental health—yet remains beyond reach. The "slot machine" serves as a symbol of the speaker's futile attempts to find relief or escape. The overall message: no matter how hard workers labor, inflation keeps them perpetually broke and unable to afford even basic comforts.

# Dining-Car Golf: A Humorous Parody of Outdoor Golf This article satirizes the elaborate etiquette and pretension surrounding golf by applying golf terminology to the mundane activity of eating in a dining car on a train. The "sport" involves using dining utensils (irons, niblics) to navigate food—green peas become "the goal," soup is "the soup," and coffee is referenced as part of the course. The satire mocks golf's exclusivity and complexity: the author notes dining-car golf requires no waiting lists, special clothes, or Colonel Bogey (golf's personified standard of excellence). The illustrations show diners attempting to eat while the train curves and jolts, creating humorous situations. The joke targets early 20th-century golf culture's snobbishness and arbitrary rules. By treating dinner service with golf's overwrought vocabulary—discussing "grip," "approach," and caddy advice—the piece ridicules how pretentious and inaccessible golf had become to ordinary Americans, suggesting even common eating could be treated as an exclusive sport requiring expert instruction.

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page This page contains three distinct pieces of satirical content: **1. "Dining Car Golf" (top section):** A humorous instructional article about playing golf on a dining car, with accompanying illustration. The satire mocks both golf etiquette and train-travel pretension by treating dining-car shuffleboard with mock-serious sporting language. **2. "A Great Ambition" (middle-right):** Social satire targeting small-town bankers. The character Dorsey Dudgeon admits he wants to be a country banker not for financial reasons, but to sit back and dispense wisdom with unwarranted authority—mocking the pomposity and self-importance of provincial bankers. "Major John R. Bondwaller" appears to be a specific satirical reference to a recognizable figure of affected dignity, though the identity is unclear today. **3. "To Dan Cupid" (right column):** A humorous poem by Persix Holmes Lowey gently mocking Cupid's state of undress while paradoxically declaring romantic devotion. The satire targets romantic sentiment and cupid imagery rather than any political figure. The overall tone is light social satire typical of Judge magazine's humor.

# Political Pot Is Boiling This satirical cartoon critiques GOP Congress's handling of post-WWI economic crises. The central figure labeled "$2.26 WHEAT" represents inflated food prices—the "Strong Man holding up Food Prices"—while surrounding elements show interconnected problems: "PLUMB" (likely plums/produce), "LEAGUE OF NATIONS," and "SHANTUNG CHINA" reference unresolved international disputes. The top left shows Congress claiming they'll "take care of" these issues "shortly," while lower vignettes depict ongoing suffering. References to a "wormy" problem and something "doomed to carry around another year" suggest food spoilage and the burden of unresolved economic policy. The cartoon criticizes Republican inaction on domestic inflation and international commitments, implying Congress's promises are hollow while citizens suffer economic hardship.