Gallaway, W. H. (Walter H.), 1870-1911

Two Irishmen talk in the street of a rural community. The son of one is taking music lessons, to the annoyance of the other, as well as the neighbors. Caption: Hogan — I suppose ye’ve heard me lad, Terry? He do be takin’ lissons on th’ clary-o-nit. / Ryan — He might betther be takin’ lissons on the sthame-dhrill. It’ud be more useful t’ him an’ a dom sight more soothin’ t’ the neighbors.

comments and context

Comments and Context

Walter Gallaway was one of Puck‘s cartoonists who virtually never drew a political cartoon or a caricature of a person in the news; he devoted himself to humor cartoons, mostly single-panel, and many with ethnic figures. He also moonlighted during the first years of the century, drawing cartoons and strips (one-shots, not recurring characters) for the Sunday color comic supplement of the New York Herald.

Two boys talk on a busy city sidewalk next to a produce stand. Caption: Messenger — I didn’t do a t’ing but win a dollar an’ t’irty-two cents at craps, las’ night. / Bucket-Shop Office Boy — Put it all on Cotton, Billy, an’ stand fer a raise uv fifteen p’ints – I heerd de boss tellin’ a come-on ter sell short!

comments and context

Comments and Context

The context of this cartoon is a simple joke that even messenger boys could share in the nation’s prosperity during the early years of the President Roosevelt’s administration.

A clerk in an office talks to his employer. Caption: Clerk — I want more salary, sir, because I am going to get married! / Employer — But I don’t believe in “unions” raising the price of labor.

comments and context

Comments and Context

When Puck thought it had a good “gag,” it was allowed to burst from the black and white interior pages of text and social cartoons, and occupy the front page in glorious colors to attract eyes on newsstands. This pun, illustrated by Gallaway, is one such example. The cartoonist, in color and black and white work, interior and exterior pages, virtually never addressed political issues.

Two old farmers talk on the platform at a train station. They are concerned about farm boys leaving the farms for the city, as well as mortgages being held by banks outside the local community. Caption: Uncle Josh — The boys won’t stay on the farms no more. / Uncle Silas — No; an’ you can hardly expect ’em to. Nowadays, even the mortgages don’t stay on the farms.

comments and context

Comments and Context

Increasingly at the time of Gallaway’s cartoon, when Puck hit upon a good humorous gag, the magazine was inclined to bounce the usual partisan cartoon. But even a commentary about country boys leaving for the big cities had subtexts of politics or social commentary. The reference here to mortgages being held by distant banks, but also the threats of foreclosures.

In a business office, the president of an oil company talks to a resident of the local community. He is explaining to “Mr. Haysede” why his company has to issue more stock. Caption: Mr. Haysede — I see by your advertisements that you’re going to issue some more stock. What’s that for? / Oil President — What for? Why, my good fellow, we’ve earned so much money in the past six months that we’re obliged to have more stock to pay dividends on it order to get rid of it.

comments and context

Comments and Context

Gallaway’s cartoon makes a political, or economic, point masquerading as a simple joke. “Hayseeds” and “rubes” were stereotypical uneducated rural types frequently fleeced by manipulative swindlers from the city. In this cartoon, Gallaway engaged in hyperbole, because in 1903 it was not only gullible farmers who were skeptical about stock watering; the middle class, small businessmen, and, increasingly, the federal government under President Theodore Roosevelt who questioned Wall Street’s manipulation of share values.

Two tramps sit on railroad ties. One is reading the newspaper, and there is a pot heating on a campfire. Two railroad cars, a coal car and a box car, stand in the background. Caption: Agitating Abe — I tell yer, if us fellers wants t’ be reckernized, we got t’ form a union. / Plugcut Peters — Dat’s what! Den, if de grub dey give us ain’t up to de American standard of livin’, we kin force dem ter arbitrate!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1903-01-07

In a country courtroom, a judge pronounces a verdict based on the testimony of a cowboy standing in front of the clerk’s desk. Caption: Rube Roundup — Yes, your Honor, I admit I shot the tenderfoot, but he asked me to play a game of “ping-pong” with him. / Lead Gulch Justice — Discriminatin’ sarcumstances. When he gets out o’ the hospittle I’ll see thet you get the justice of his commitment. Next case.

comments and context

Comments and Context

As happens with society’s fads and fancies, something of momentary obsession attracts the attention — and, usually, the wit and sarcasm — of cartoonists. Puck in 1902 just did not seem able to embrace the fad of that new indoor game, ping pong.

Two men talk in the yard of a rural home. Chickens in the yard scratch the soil and pull up the plants. Caption: Citimann — I see you raise your own vegetables. / Suburbanite — No! I simply plant a small garden so as to keep the chickens at home.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902-08-06

Two young Irish women talk at a stand selling “Soda Water” next to a busy city street. Caption: Maggie — He’s going ter buy me an autermobile – dat’s wat! / Katie — An autermobile, eh? An’ where’s he goin’ ter git der dough? / Maggie — Well, he’s goin’ ter watch his chance an’ git run over by one, an’ den sue fer damages!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902-08-27

An automobile driver who broke the traffic laws has been placed in jail with other criminals. Caption: Fines are a farce when dealing with the auto law breaker.

comments and context

Comments and Context

The brand-new phenomenon of automobiles and “scorchers,” speed-demons who terrorized pedestrians and animals on rural roads and city streets, provided sustenance for police, ambulances, and cartoonists. Some of these reckless drivers reached speeds of 30 miles an hour.

Two Irish men play poker at a social club or union hall. Caption: Mike (teaching Pat poker) — Well, what hov yez got? / Pat — Four trowels and a black shamrock!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902-10-08

A salesman tells an old farmer that the “Reaper” on display will do as much work as “five hired-men.” The old farmer responds that he can do more than that by himself. Caption: Agent — This reaper-and-binder will do the work of five hired-men! / Farmer Jones — Huh! I kin do more ‘n that, myself, B’gosh!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902-11-05

A local hunter appears in the foreground, and a visiting hunter from the city in the background asks the local if there is good shooting in the area. The local replies that it depends on who is doing it. Caption: Citiman — There is good shooting around her, isn’t there? / Native — Sure! – Of course it depends on who does it!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1901-11-20

A politician agrees with a woman labeled “W.C.T.U.” and a man holding a Bible, who are standing on the right. Behind them are the locked and barricaded doors to a cafe on which is a sign “Closed Sunday.” On the left, behind the politician, is an open door labeled “Family Entrance” from which the cafe owner is placing a bribe in the politician’s right hand. Further to the left is a police officer leaning against the building, pretending not to notice the illegal transaction. Caption: Politician (to Temperance Element) — You’re right! The sanctity of the American Sabbath must be preserved!

comments and context

Comments and Context

The cartoon illustrates an anomaly in long-running debates about “Sunday closings” of saloons. Even today in much of the United States, local ordinances restrict liquor sales on Sundays, so the controversy has only quieted, not ended. At the time of this cartoon, the WCTU (Women’s Christians Temperance Union) and other groups including religious, social, and feminist, advocated a range of reforms from Sunday closings to full-fledged prohibition of spirits (and, often, tobacco). In many places, Sunday-closing laws were circumvented by reclassification of saloons as restaurants or hotels, rebirth as “private clubs,” or by outright bribery of police and judges. Gallaway’s cartoon portrays the depth of hypocrisy — the political establishment that not only enabled circumvention, but its virtue signals to prohibitionists. When Theodore Roosevelt enforced Sunday-closing laws as Police Commissioner of New York City, he endured criticism, for instance, from common laborers and their families, whose only days of rest were Sundays. But he maintained that the remedy was to change the regulations, not condone corruption.

A tourist from the city stands on the steps of a railroad passenger car, speaking to an old man and a young boy standing on the platform at a train station in a quiet community known as “Restville.” A man with a heavy beard and smoking a pipe is leaning against the wall of the station. Another man sitting in a chair appears to be asleep. Caption: The Tourist. — Rather quiet here, isn’t it? Leading Citizen (of Restville). — Quiet? – why, say, even the unexpected don’t happen here!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1901-06-26