The Railway Sleepers We Should Like to See Taken Up. Click on image to enlarge it. Fun (24 June 1865): 55.
The pun here is on the world sleepers, the British equivalent of what are called railroad ties in North America. As part of railway maintenance that ensures the safe passage of trains, defective sleepers are lifted (“taken up”) and replaced. The cartoon urges that these sleepers — members of railway boards of directors who do little for the safety of their passengers — similarly be discarded. — George P. Landow
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Last modified 24 February 2016