Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, March 1922 · page 64 of 68
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #31 — page 64: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a humor column featuring mock advice letters from rural readers with stereotypical names, a common format in early 20th-century American satirical magazines. The jokes target: - **Domestic life**: "Andy Gump" (referencing the popular comic strip character) receives advice that his wife's constant nagging (symbolized by wanting a new hat) causes his ear buzzing—blaming wives for husbands' ailments was standard period humor. - **Working-class characters**: "Bridget" (Irish servant stereotype), "Sweet Marie," "Weeping Winnie," and "Queen Liz" represent lower-class women readers. - **Trivial complaints**: The column mocks readers' petty concerns with tongue-in-cheek "wisdom"—e.g., Queen Liz's bad singing won't scare away wolves, and the glass/magnet joke is pure nonsense. The overall satire mocks rural America's supposed naïveté and domestic squabbles, presenting them as worthy of comedic dismissal by a knowing urban audience.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
62 Captain Billy's Whiz Bang Our Rural Mail Box Bridget—Better put on your woolen socks, Bridget, or you will catch cold in your lungs. * * * Andy Gump—A continuous buzzing noise in your ears is not always a sign of serious mental trouble, or any other illness. It is probably the first indication that your wife needs a new hat. * * * Sweet Marie—You are mistaken, Marie. The Scottish Highlanders are not members of the Middlesex Regiment. * * * Weeping Winnie—Cheer up, Winnie. You are overdosed on pessimism and, in retrospection, I feel sure you have presented a very sad aspect to the cynics of humanity. * * * Queen Liz—Your singing lessons may keep the wolf away from the door, 'tis true, if the wolf hears you. * * * "You can't pick me up—I'm not of that metal," said the piece of glass to the bar magnet.