Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, March 1921 · page 61 of 68
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #18 — page 61: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from the satirical magazine contains a series of brief humorous exchanges (advice column or reader submissions format). The jokes target common social behaviors and attitudes of the era: **"Sweet Dottie"** mocks someone claiming immoral behavior is justified by necessity (staying warm), sarcastically suggesting they wait until summer. **"Bringemin Young"** references a well-known anecdote, apparently skeptical of claims about cheap stenographer labor. **"Bobby"** appears to reference alcohol consumption (cider's fermentation properties). **"Miss Construe"** uses wordplay—she "misses" her husband while literally throwing things at him. The remaining items include a Depression-era verse about parental drinking and financial hardship, a morbid cemetery joke, and a final exchange where a co-ed's euphemistic request for dormitory clothing is misunderstood (or deliberately reinterpreted) as asking how many people occupy the space. The humor is crude, focused on poverty, domestic discord, and sexual innuendo typical of 1920s-30s magazine satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
59 Captain Billy's Whiz Bang Sweet Dottie—You say you do some awful things sometimes, but that then it's only to keep warm. If that's your only reason, you had better postpone your "new leaf" turning until summer. * * * Bringemin Young—We've heard your story before about the stenographer who got $25 a week and half her board. * * * Bobby—I have heard that it goes good in cider. * * * Miss Construe—You say you miss your husband so often. Do you mean when you throw things at him? * * * Mamma's in the kitchen, Singing "Alcoholic Blues," Father's in the cellar, Drinking Alcoholic Booze. * * * The Cemetery Blues The graveyard is a mean old place—they lay you on your back and shovel dirt in your face. * * * Blissful Ignorance Co-ed—I want something to wear around the dormitory. Salesgirl—How large is your dormitory?