Punchinello, Volume 2, No. 31, October 29, 1870

In Short

This issue of Punchinello, an illustrated weekly humor magazine from October 1870, delivers a razor-sharp snapshot of late-nineteenth-century American popular culture and political life. Combining serial fiction, mock news reports, satirical letters, and spoof arts reviews, the periodical targets everything from international diplomacy and local election fraud to modern theatrical trends. Driven by parodies of literary heavyweights and irreverent takes on daily life, it serves as an energetic artifact of Gilded Age journalism, demonstrating how nineteenth-century Americans used farce to navigate a rapidly changing world.

The Story

The issue opens with the serial farce The Mystery of Mr. E. Drood, written by Orpheus C. Kerr as an unauthorized parody and continuation of Charles Dickens's unfinished final novel. In this installment, the intoxicated organist John Bumstead stumbles through a dark night in Bumsteadville, haunted by his vanished nephew Edwin. Driven by a foggy memory, Bumstead travels with a lighted lantern and a bottle of liquor to a pauper burial ground managed by J. McLaughlin. Down in the cellar, he confronts what appears to be the ghost of Edwin, who accuses Bumstead of carrying him away unconscious, leaving him in a tomb, and subsequently attempting to marry his fiancée. Indifferent to the ghost's moral outrage, Bumstead remains absurdly preoccupied with finding his lost umbrella before fleeing the graveyard.

From this narrative core, the issue expands into a varied miscellany of topical satire. A mock correspondence section offers sharp-witted responses to absurd reader inquiries, poking fun at Paris balloon scouts using unsold newspapers as ballast and suggesting greenbacks as the best material for stuffing ballot boxes. The issue then turns to international affairs, presenting a humorous pseudo-diplomatic transcript of a meeting between Otto von Bismarck and Jules Favre during the Franco-Prussian War, complete with absurd medical metaphors and high-minded political nonsense interrupting peace talks.

The commentary shifts back to the domestic cultural scene with a satirical critique of an art gallery, mockingly praising political and public figures like Susan B. Anthony and news editor C.A. Dana as master painters. This is followed by a comical retelling of the Jack Sprat nursery rhyme, re-imagining the thin husband and his robust bride, Sally Stubbs, as a Victorian match of opposing physical extremes.

Political commentary returns through the voice of "The Lait Gustise," an unseated, opportunistic candidate who lays out a cynical "Skedyule of Interogertories" designed to test potential political candidates on their willingness to profit from public office and pander to voters. Theater reviews spoof the understated, overly reserved acting style popular at Wallack's Theatre, while short feature articles poke fun at contemporary social anxieties—ranging from the introduction of Chinese labor to the dubious privacy offered by published medical reports. The issue concludes as it began, framed by commercial advertisements for steel pens, railroad routes, and magazine binders.

How It Unfolds

A ghostly confrontation John Bumstead awakens from a heavy stupor and realizes he left his nephew, Edwin Drood, in a pauper cemetery cellar. Armed with a lantern and a fresh bottle of liquor, he wanders into the night to retrieve his forgotten umbrella.

An accusation in the dark At the cemetery, Bumstead meets the ghostly apparition of Edwin, who angrily accuses his uncle of burying him alive and stealing his belongings. Bumstead remains completely unimpressed, ignoring the ghost's moral lectures to ask only about his lost property.

Diplomatic absurdities A mock dispatch recounts a high-stakes meeting between Bismarck and Jules Favre regarding the Franco-Prussian War. The dialogue devolves into convoluted jargon, nonsensical philosophical posturing, and interruptions over beer.

Spoofing the art world A satirical review of a private art gallery attributes ludicrous paintings to prominent contemporary figures. Activist Susan B. Anthony is credited with a delicate fruit-and-flower piece, while editor C.A. Dana is named the painter of a dramatic military scene.

The cynical candidate An aggrieved former political candidate outlines his transactional view of voting and public office. He presents a list of interrogation questions for new candidates, asking how much money they plan to skim from their government salaries.

Curtain call at Wallack's A dramatic critic reviews the latest stage production, poking fun at high-society theater audiences and actors who try to suppress all visible emotion. The review compares the subdued atmosphere of the theater to a placid mill-pond before concluding the issue's main features.

The People

• John Bumstead wants nothing more than another drink and his missing umbrella, but he is perpetually hindered by an alcoholic fog and a terrible memory. He ends up wandering blindly through a graveyard, utterly unfazed by the apparition of his missing nephew.
• Edwin Drood wants justice and recognition after being left in a vault by his intoxicated relative. Stymied by his uncle's dense insensibility and obsession with trivial items, he remains exasperated and unable to evoke any genuine remorse.
• Count Bismarck wants to dictate terms and project imperial grandeur during peace negotiations, but his grand speeches are constantly derailed by bad translations, absurd metaphors, and coarse interruptions.
• Jules Favre wants to preserve French dignity and territorial integrity, yet his overly diplomatic and delicate phrasing leaves him unable to make any real progress against his stubborn opponent.
• The Lait Gustise wants to turn political endorsement into a profitable business venture after losing his own nomination. Denied office, he seeks revenge by selling his vote to whichever candidate pays the highest interest.

In Its Own Voice

"In this, the last rough resting place of the impecunious dead, do you dare to discuss commonplace topics with one of the departed?"

Edwin Drood's indignant ghost attempts to lecture his uncle on the solemnity of the graveyard, only to be ignored.

"We must remove the peritoneum to get at the viscera of the issues, and evict those impressions which are purely matters of national sensibility."

Count Bismarck uses absurdly clinical language to justify his diplomatic demands during peace negotiations with France.

"Fair SALLY, overflowing with the milk of human kindness, and yearning in her soul to bestow her attentions and corporosity upon JACK'S attenuosity, urged matters onward..."

The narrator describes the courtship between the robust Sally Stubbs and the frail Jack Sprat.

What It's Really About

Behind its lighthearted mockery, Punchinello explores the anxiety and cynicism of late-nineteenth-century American life. The issue repeatedly returns to the theme of public deception, whether through political corruption, opportunistic journalism, or artificial social etiquette. By parodying international conflicts like the Franco-Prussian War alongside domestic political posturing, the text suggests that statecraft and local governance are equally driven by greed and theater. The pieces also highlight a culture undergoing rapid modernization, where traditional literature, gender roles, and labor systems are constantly questioned, mocked, or reshaped to fit a commercialized society.

Why Read It Today

This issue offers an entertaining, unfiltered look into 1870s American popular culture that traditional history books rarely capture. Reading it feels like flipping through a broadside of nineteenth-century humor, filled with quick puns, literary parodies, and sharp political jabs. While some period references and heavy-handed dialect jokes require patience, the magazine's broad, irreverent wit remains surprisingly accessible. It will appeal to historical satire fans, civil war-era scholars, and readers curious about how humor was used to navigate the news of the day.