The Wasp, 1913 · page 207 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 207: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a narrative passage (not a cartoon) from a serialized story in *The Wasp*, a 19th-century satirical magazine. The scene depicts violence aboard a ship during a crew meeting. A drunk passenger insults someone, resulting in a knife fight that leaves him bleeding on deck. The ship's leader, Trimmer, unusually tolerates this unauthorized violence—a departure from his normal brutal discipline. The passage suggests Trimmer is deliberately overlooking the incident, possibly to manipulate the election of quartermaster James Burnham. Slim Sam, the first mate, scrutinizes Trimmer's passivity, sensing something suspicious. The narrative implies Trimmer may be using the chaos and Burnham's selection for unstated purposes. Without additional context about the full story's characters and plot, specific historical references remain unclear, but the passage portrays shipboard politics through violence and coercion.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
202 THE WASP A clamor arose, and the crowd closed and surged forward. It expanded as suddenly as it had con- tracted, every man jumping away from his neigh- bors on the right and left and at his back—and there on the deck lay the wine-inspired gentleman who had insulted him of the broken nose, writhing in his own blood. The unfortunate debater was carried to his berth, and the business of the meeting was continued. Trimmer, entirely sober himself, felt that it was not the time to exact discipline. It was a novel feel- ing for him to have, and he wondered at it vaguely ; for never before had he allowed an unauthorized knifing in his presence to pass without immediate and violent punishment. But now he went on with the business of electing a quartermaster. Inquiring glances were turned upon him, the most piercing of which was from the small eyes of Slim Sam, first mate and second in command. “Who says nay to James Burnham having the berth?” he asked. If anyone felt disinclined to see Burnham pro- Comichooks.com