Episode 8.5: C.J. Taylor’s 1881-82 William Vanderbilt Comic Strips
Today’s episode — A Disinterested Friend of the Public, from the front page of the May 2nd, 1882 issue of the (New York) Daily Graphic — I’ve labeled Episode 8.5 (rather than “9″) of Charles Jay Taylor’s series of sequential comic strips starring William H. Vanderbilt, because it’s a single panel cartoon. But being produced by Taylor within the same period as his Vanderbilt strips, I don’t think we should skip over it.
William Vanderbilt is shown leading a group of investors/suckers from the Wall Street Stock Exchange, to an entrance/trap labeled “Lake Shore” (one of Vanderbilt’s railroads). Inside the doorway, is a “Bunko Thermometer”, with “Harlem” (another Vanderbilt-owned railroad), “24 cents” (perhaps a stock price???), and “Lake Shore”, all near the top (Bunko) range. Also in the doorway, is a sign reading:
| “GAMES: — ALL GENTLEMANLY. The interview dodge. Taking care of the widows and orphans.” |
Looking out upon the scene from a background window, is stock market manipulator Russell Sage. A sign outside his window reads “R. Sage. Puts. Calls. Spreads. Straddles.” (all Stock Market terms). Sage is shown in prayer, thanking God for the abundant crops (i.e., the sucker investors he is watching) and so few reapers (i.e., so few who will get out of the trap with a profit). This continues the targeting of Sage for public piousness and philanthropy, while his business actions seemed anything but moral.
Click on the below picture, to open a version large enough to read.
Click here to view previous episodes in C.J. Taylor’s 1881-82 William Vanderbilt Comic Strips. Episode 9, plus Vanderbilt cartoons by Frost and Kemble, will appear this coming week.
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— Doug
