Puck — September 17, 1879 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Puck cartoon satirizes corruption in canal construction, specifically referencing U.S. Grant and Galena, Illinois (Grant's hometown). The figure atop the monument represents a corrupt politician or official overseeing the project. Below, working-class men appear to be digging or laboring, while one figure gestures dismissively toward them—suggesting exploitation or mismanagement of workers and public funds. The title "THE KIND OF CANAL BUSINESS" implies criticism of how canal projects operated as vehicles for graft and insider dealing rather than legitimate public works. The cartoon suggests that canal construction was a scheme where politically connected individuals (like those associated with Grant) profited while ordinary laborers did the actual work under poor conditions.