The Wasp, 1913 · page 305 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 305: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains narrative text rather than a cartoon. It describes a pirate conflict involving John Trimmer (characterized as a "traitor" and "treacherous pirate") and James Burnham, who appears to be challenging Trimmer's authority. The passage depicts Burnham rallying followers by promising them treasure and assuring them they'll fight against a pirate rather than fellow seamen. The text notes Trimmer is having trouble controlling his own followers, and he's hoping the arrival of a passing brig will help him "silence" dissidents. The satire likely mocks pirate hierarchies, mutiny, and the brutal methods used to maintain control through violence and wealth distribution. Without seeing the magazine's date or broader context, the specific political allegory remains unclear, though it may reference contemporary disputes over leadership or authority.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
298 THE WASP particulars. Then he spoke of the work and re- wards of the immediate future. He explained that, to overthrow the traitor John Trimmer, they might have to increase their company by a score or so from Trimmer’s crew. But what mattered a score, more or less, when treasure enough to make five hundred men wealthy for life lay waiting to be dis- tributed ? He was cheered as heartily by the recruits as by the old hands. The honest fellows among the re- cruits—and there were several such—were delighted to know that they would not be called upon to fight against their own kind, but against a treacherous pirate. It was five days after the capture of the brig Virtue by the indefatigable James Burnham that a lookout on the hills behind John Trimmer’s har- bor descended with word that a brig was crawling southward along the coast. This was welcome news to Trimmer, for he had been having trouble of.late with certain of his followers, and looked to this brig to afford him the means of silencing the Comichooks.com