Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, December 1921 · page 2 of 68
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #28 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page celebrates **Whiz Bang magazine's massive circulation** (1,500,000 readers) by reproducing a letter from the Great Northern Railway Company complaining that a single shipment of the magazine weighed 36,000 pounds and delayed a mail train by 57 minutes. The satire is self-promotional: the publisher (Captain Billy) uses the railway's complaint as proof of the magazine's enormous popularity and commercial success. The letter's formal, slightly annoyed tone from the railroad company adds humor—they're asking for scheduling details to accommodate future shipments, treating Whiz Bang like major freight cargo. Captain Billy responds by boasting that Winter Annual issues were so voluminous they could fill an entire mail train, and announces future issues will be distributed gradually throughout the month to avoid overwhelming postal infrastructure. The joke invites readers to marvel at the publication's success: even the railroads can't handle how many copies they're shipping. It's essentially a brag disguised as a logistical explanation.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1,500,000 Readers! SUBJECT GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY COMPANY. ST. PAUL, MINN., Sept. 29th, 1921. Editor Whiz-Bang, Robbinsdale, Minn. Dear Sir: On September 27th our train #12 was held at Robbinsdale 57 minutes loading what is stated to have been 36,000 lbs. of mail. In order that provision be made to handle such large quantities of mail without causing unreasonable delay to trains, would you kindly furnish the following information: First, Frequency of publication of the magazine. Second, Days or dates when regularly due to be placed in the mails. Third, Approximate weight or number of copies of each issue. With this information we will consider the making of some special arrangement for bringing to the cities. It might be advantageous to put a baggage car on at Robbinsdale the day before the magazine are to be forwarded. Yours truly, M. J. Wouga The letter tells the story! If our Winter Annuals had been loaded at one time Cap- tain Billy would have filled an entire mail train. Here- after, Gentle Reader, your news dealer will have the Whiz Bang on the 15th of the month, and because of our enor- mous orders, we will, in future, mail a few truck loads every day throughout the full month, all magazines to be held at the various postoffices until the 15th for delivery. In conclusion, I thank you for your indulgence at delays in getting your Whiz Bang and your Winter Annual. The old Whiz Bang Farm has been a busy spot these past few months. Yours for fun, CAPTAIN BILLY.