Punchinello, Volume 1, No. 17, July 23, 1870

In Short

This periodical is a collection of satirical sketches, burlesque serials, poems, and advertisements, all bound by a singular, mocking tone. It targets the era’s political scandals, its obsession with European trends, and the absurdities of daily life, ranging from the heat of the summer to the "Chinese question." By blending high-minded literary parody with the gritty realities of New York City, it serves as an essential artifact of American humor, preserving the specific anxieties, prejudices, and aspirations of a nation rapidly modernizing in the shadow of the Civil War.

The Story

The narrative arc of this issue centers on the chaotic life of the metropolis, viewed through the eyes of a roving, satirical observer. It begins with the mundane—advertisements for steel pens and railway schedules—before plunging into the burlesque serial The Mystery of Mr. E. Drood. In this installment, the characters navigate a series of slapstick misfortunes within a law office. Mr. Dibble, an aging lawyer, and his young guest, Edwin Drood, attempt to share a meal of oysters and crackers. The scene descends into physical comedy when a table, released from the pressure of the diners, tips over, burying them beneath a "four-pillared monumental temple" of furniture and snacks.

Following this disaster, the tone shifts to a more reflective, albeit cynical, commentary on the state of the city. We encounter the "Free Baths," a project of the controversial William M. Tweed, which the publication acknowledges as a necessary, if ironic, benefit for the working class. The narrative voice then wanders into the realm of the arts, complaining about the intolerable summer heat and the lack of decent entertainment, while lampooning the pretentiousness of local music critics.

The focus then widens to national and international concerns. The "Crispin vs. Coolie" debate highlights the xenophobic tensions of the time, with the publication adopting a patronizing yet pseudo-judicial stance toward both laborers and the "Chinese question." This leads into a series of short, biting verses and anecdotes—"See the Point?"—and the lyrical drama Foam, which satirizes the summer habits of the elite, specifically their frantic migration to Long Branch, the seaside resort favored by President Grant.

The issue concludes with a bizarre, discursive narrative titled Hiram Green at the Tower of Babel. Here, the protagonist interviews an "old settler" who spins a tall tale blending biblical history with 1870s political figures and scandals. This story serves as a catch-all for the publication’s frustrations: it touches on the perceived incompetence of Horace Greeley, the corruption of Congress, and the shifting social dynamics of the post-war era. The issue ends not with a resolution, but with a lingering sense of social exhaustion and a final, sarcastic recommendation to retreat to the "Dismal Swamp" as the only sensible watering place left in a ruined, overheated world.

How It Unfolds

The office mishap The scene opens with a tense, clumsy dinner in a law office, where a precarious table setup turns a simple meal into a sprawling, slapstick disaster involving broken crackers and dented pride. The physical comedy highlights the absurdity of the characters' attempts at dignity while they are trapped under the wreckage.

The city’s public works The focus shifts to the streets, where the publication offers a grudging nod of approval to the new free public baths in New York. This section serves as a commentary on the underlying corruption and public necessity that defined the era’s urban development.

The summer doldrums The narrative moves to the arts, specifically the stifling lack of theater and the contradictory, elitist opinions found at Central Park Garden. This beat captures the performative nature of cultural criticism when the weather makes common sense difficult to maintain.

The national stage The issue expands to address the "Chinese question" and political treaties, using a mix of satire and moralizing to navigate the complex racial and economic tensions of the time. This section reflects the deep-seated prejudices and the era’s obsession with labor politics.

The final tall tale The issue culminates in a sprawling, conversational interview with a mysterious old man who links the contemporary political landscape to the biblical Tower of Babel. This narrative technique serves to frame the era’s corruption as a recurring, farcical human condition.

The People

Mr. Dibble, the aging, pedantic lawyer, seeks to maintain an air of professional decorum despite his obvious poverty and his reliance on a "bump of happiness." He is constantly maneuvering to preserve his status while managing the unruly, hungry clerk, Mr. Bladams. Bladams, in turn, acts as a "farinaceous goblin," whose primary motivation is the acquisition of crackers. He represents the desperate, low-level survivalism of the period. Edwin Drood serves as the straight man, an unlucky lover whose awkwardness provides a foil to the more eccentric older men. Together, these figures illustrate the friction between Victorian expectations of politeness and the base, physical demands of their environment. Hiram Green acts as the everyman observer, a skeptical traveler who serves as a conduit for the reader, allowing the "old settler" to deliver his cynical, sprawling history of the world. Each character remains trapped in their respective social roles, unable to escape the crushing gravity of their own petty interests.

In Its Own Voice

"The whole scene had been a reproachful commentary upon the stiff American system of discouraging waiters from making remarks upon the weather."

The author reflects on the lack of light, conversational diversion in American service culture.

"A dorg is a very devoted animal, and should not be taxed, as its master often is, by its various eccentricities--when it makes off with his dinner, for instance, or leaves dental impressions on the meat in the pantry."

The writer muses on the chaotic, hungry nature of both dogs and their owners in a humorous, anecdotal style.

"I’ll fill it with newspapers. Here, this will do, this triple-sheet Tribune, with Mrs. MCFARLAND'S epistle."

A character prepares for a summer trip to Long Branch by packing his valise with redundant, sensationalized news to give the appearance of substance.

What It's Really About

This work is fundamentally about the instability of identity—personal, political, and cultural—in a nation that has lost its footing. It explores the tension between the high-minded ideals of the post-Civil War era and the gritty, corrupt reality of everyday life. The central theme is the absurdity of order; whether through the literal collapse of a table or the metaphorical collapse of political treaties, the publication argues that civilization is a thin, peeling layer of paint over a chaotic, hungry, and fundamentally irrational human nature. It asks whether anything of value can survive in a culture dominated by swindlers and heat.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the biting, cynical wit of modern political commentary will find a familiar rhythm here. It is a dense, often challenging read, filled with the specific, fleeting references of 1870—mentioning names and events that require some patience to parse. The prose is ornate and occasionally burdened by the period’s penchant for lengthy, digressive sentences. However, the experience of reading it feels like stepping into a crowded, boisterous New York tavern where the patrons are all gossiping at once.

You will likely be struck by the persistent, unvarnished xenophobia and the casual, often cruel, ways the authors discuss labor and race; these excerpts do not shy away from the ugliness of the era’s attitudes. Yet, there is a genuine, infectious energy in its refusal to take anything—or anyone—seriously. If you can move past the dated dialect and the harsh prejudices, you are left with a vivid, unfiltered portrait of an American identity in the making. It remains a fascinating study of how a society uses humor to cope with its own rapid growth, deep-seated corruption, and the relentless, suffocating heat of a summer that never seems to end.