The Wasp — 1914 — page 19: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This text passage (no visible cartoon on this page) recounts a satirical narrative about James Burnham, a highwayman who robs John Trimmer on the road. After being caught, Burnham negotiates to keep half the stolen gold in exchange for secrecy. The satire mocks Burnham's subsequent London exploits: he becomes wealthy through gambling, seduces a woman named "Kitty Trimmer" (apparently the brother's romantic interest), and attracts a fashionable social circle in Swan Alley. The joke escalates when Burnham's luck fails and he resorts to cheating at dice—behavior that offends "the young fools" enabling his rise. The piece likely satirizes San Francisco's nouveau riche and their moral corruption through sudden wealth and social climbing.