The Wasp — 1896 — page 162: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains satirical pieces mocking San Francisco's mayor and city officials. The main cartoon features a caricatured face labeled "I WAS SCARED," depicting Mayor Sutro in an unflattering exaggerated style with wild hair and prominent mustache. The text ridicules Sutro for his anxious response to a dispatch from U.S. Senator C.P. Huntington, suggesting the mayor is easily intimidated by powerful railroad interests. The satire implies Sutro is ineffectual—frightened into inaction by corporate pressure. The "Cycling" section criticizes Park Commissioners for poor road maintenance while mocking women bicyclists in "bloomers" as growing attractions in Golden Gate Park, reflecting period attitudes about women's dress and public presence.