Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, June 1922 · page 45 of 68
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #34 — page 45: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two poems reflecting early 20th-century American attitudes. **"Captain Billy's Whiz Bang"** (top): A sentimental poem about interfaith tolerance during wartime (likely WWI). A dying soldier, denied a Catholic priest, receives last rites from a Jewish chaplain who holds up a cross despite his own faith. The message: in extremity, religious boundaries dissolve—all prayers reach "the God of us all." This reflects genuine WWI-era discussions about soldiers of different faiths serving together. **"Ay Ban Swede From North Dakota"** (bottom): A comedic monologue in exaggerated Swedish-immigrant dialect ("Ay ban," "Yump," "Minoplis"). The humor derives from the speaker's broken English and boorish behavior—getting drunk, losing his way, meeting a woman who greets him familiarly. The piece trades on stereotypes about Swedish immigrants as unsophisticated farm laborers, but treats them affectionately rather than viciously. This reflects 1920s American amusement with immigrant communities and their dialects.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang 43 How 'e wanted to pray e're he passed away, But no priest of his faith was near that day And he dare not die unconfessed. But a Jewish chaplain saw him; What matter the faith or creed, A Jewish rabbi—He raised on high, The cross of the Christ he must still deny, And he prayed by his side till he saw him die, And the poor bruised soul was freed. So whether you're Jew or Christian, Whatever your faith or call; When you're faced out there with the grim death stare It's to Hell with your creeds—for each man's prayer Goes straight to the God of us all. * * * Ay Ban Swede From North Dakota Ay ban Swede from North Dakota, Vork on a farm 'bout one year; Ay ban going down to Minnesota. Yust to look on the big state fair. Get ma ticket, get ma bottle, Dress all up look out of sight; Yump me on a Jim Hill wagon, Ay feel so gude, I like to fight. Next morning ay ban got wake up, Fellow him say ban near St. Paul, Ay tal you ay got awful headake, Ay skal a drink 'o alkalhol. Walk 'round street in St. Paul, Haint seen Swede man anywhere. Yump on street car, go to Minoplis, You bet, plenty Swede mens dar. Walking 'round in south Minoplis, Go by Stockholm, look for fun. Here ay find one nice big Swede girl, She slap my back, say "Good dog Swan." Ay turn round and feel so funny. Never seen this girl I tink,