Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, January 1921 · page 32 of 68
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #16 — page 32: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"Marjorie Was So Obliging"**: This is a humorous anecdote about a mother showing off her obedient young daughter at a social gathering. The joke relies on childish speech patterns ("muvver," "tant," "weach the chain") and the ironic twist: after dutifully fetching water for six guests, little Marjorie innocently reveals she cannot reach the toilet chain to refill the pitcher—implying the "water" came from the toilet. The satire targets vain parents who parade their children's compliance without considering consequences, and the crude humor typical of 1920s men's magazines. **"Fits Most Lunch Foundries"**: This presents a humorous diner sign from Holyoke, Massachusetts, mocking the notoriously poor quality of cheap lunch-counter coffee. The joke: the sign sardonically warns customers not to insult the coffee (claiming it might become weak like them), then suggests aggressive stirring with "sugar like hell," admitting the coffee requires drastic improvement. It's satirizing both low-quality food service and the rough, unapologetic culture of casual American dining establishments.
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30 Captain Billy’s Whiz Bang Marjorie Was So Obliging Little 5-year-old Marjorie was the sunshine of her mother’s heart and on all possible occasions her bright-ness was paraded before “company.” It was at a meeting of the Loyal Ladies’ Card club that Marjorie’s mother contrived to “show up” her darling daughter. First she asked the little tot to get Mrs. Jones a drink of water. Marjorie got the water and was thanked for it. She was then asked to get Mrs. Smith a drink. She complied and again was thanked. She went through the same procedure for four more ladies. After the last one had drank, the mother proudly asked little Marjorie to bring in a drink for her before going out to play. In a few moments Marjorie returned, but without water for mother. “Muvver, I tant det any more water,” she child-ishly lisped. “Why not, my child, surely you’ll get your mother a drink?” “I tant, muvver, the water’s all don and I tant weach the chain.” * * * Fits Most Lunch Foundries A Holyoke, Mass., lunch room displays over the counter a large sign which reads as follows: Don’t make fun of our coffee. You may be old and weak yourself some day. Use one helping of sugar and stir like hell. We don’t mind the noise.