The Wasp — 1896 — page 316: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is primarily a **title/contents page** rather than a cartoon page. The masthead displays *The Wasp*'s branding as "the oldest colored-paint cartoon paper in the United States," established 1876, published in San Francisco. The page contains several **editorial columns** discussing contemporary issues: one criticizes sensationalist Chicago newspaper coverage of murders; another praises Shakespeare lectures by a British minister; a third attacks Cleveland's free-trade policies, arguing prices have fallen dangerously; and a final piece condemns Prison Director Wilkins for allegedly planning to suppress inmate grievances. The decorative header features a bear and landscape, reflecting the publication's Western origins and aesthetic.