Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, May 1922 · page 55 of 68
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #33 — page 55: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a page of "Classified Ads" reprinted from various American newspapers, presented as humor in Captain Billy's Whiz Bang—a satirical magazine popular in the 1920s. The humor derives from unintentional double meanings and awkward phrasing in the original newspaper classifieds: - **"A Mysterious Case"**: Lost silk bloomers (women's underwear) - amusing because of the implied impropriety - **"Either Sex"**: A matrimony ad seeking a partner "either sex" with "little capital required" - the phrasing creates ambiguity about whether the person wants any gender or is being deliberately coy - **"Congratulations All Around"**: A birth announcement oddly crediting "all in any way responsible" - satirizing awkward newspaper language - **"Toot, Toot, Here Comes the Handcar"**: Quoted journalistic purple prose about mundane events - **"A Psychology Patient"**: A hiring ad for domestic work that sounds vaguely unethical The satire targets newspapers' unintentional comedy—how their stiff, formal conventions create accidentally suggestive or absurd meanings.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
53 Captain Billy's Whiz Bang Classified Ads A Mysterious Case (From Richmond News Leader) Lost: In Jitney, between Hanover and Robinson street and Ninth and Broad between 10:45 and 11:15 o'clock, package containing silk bloomers and pea jacket. Return to Miss Dembrow, in care of News Leader Co. * * * Either Sex (From Seattle P.-I.) GENTLEMAN leaving for Far North wants partner, either sex. Little capital required. Gen. Del. will not ans. Object matrimony. Address W 6, care Post-Intelligencer. * * * Congratulations All Around (From Bellows Falls (Vt.) Times.) Born, at Rockingham hospital on November 20th, a son to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Man. Congratulations. Altogether, the affair was a success and a credit to all in any way responsible. * * * Toot, Toot, Here Comes the Handcar (From the Saturday Evening Post) At this moment a car flew up the quiet street, tootled and stopped. In the exact space of half a minute, Mary came in. Mary was bronzed and full of beans. * * * A Psychology Patient (From the Asheville Citizen) YOUNG, (SLIM) colored girl for second work and to wait on sick patient. stay on premises. References required. 108 Virginia Ave., Norwood Park.