Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, March 1922 · page 62 of 68
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #31 — page 62: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three brief humor pieces typical of 1920s American comic magazines: **"One at a Time"**: A anecdote about a Brooklyn theater manager's escaped parrot that had memorized the ticket seller's repeated phrase. The joke relies on the parrot mimicking human behavior and speech—humor based on the bird's unexpected "training." **"We Should Worry"**: A courtship scene where a young couple ignores a mother's calls from inside. The punchline—the girl saying she'll obey her mother only if the boy does—uses mild flirtation and cheek toward parental authority, reflecting 1920s youth culture's gradual loosening of Victorian propriety. **"Here's Lookin' Atchew!"**: A father-son joke defining "grass widow" (a woman separated from her husband, often temporarily) as one whose husband died of hay fever. The humor is purely pun-based wordplay. These are straightforward jokes with no political content—typical of *Whiz Bang*, which was primarily a humor and satire magazine rather than political commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
60 Captain Billy's Whiz Bang One at a Time Years ago when W. A. McConnell was man- ager of the Brooklyn theater he had a pet parrot which was kept in the box office. Dur- ing a “big run” the ticket seller was wont to say, “Get in line, please; one at a time, one at a time, gentlemen.” The bird escaped one afternoon, and McConnell commissioned some boys to find it, which they did on an old tree in a nearby park, where several crows were making its feathers fly. McConnell asked if the bird said anything and the leader of the boys replied: “Yes, he said, ‘Get in line, please; one at a time, one at a time, gentlemen.’ ” * * * We Should Worry The porch was dark. The hour was late. The couple sat whispering among the shadows. “Mary,” called a voice, “it’s time for you to come in.” No movement. “Come in, Mary.” Still no movement. He asked: “Don’t you mind your mother?” “Not unless you do, Jimmy.” * * * Here’s Lookin’ Atchew! Boy—“What is a grass widow?” Father—“A woman whose husband died with the hay fever.”