The Wasp — 1895 — page 257: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily **advertising and business directory** for San Francisco establishments (insurance companies, banks, breweries, coal merchants, etc.), with two small cartoons embedded. The top cartoon shows a couple, with the woman saying she won't flatter the man, calling it "impossible to speak to you without flattery." The man responds that soft words are his favorite—labeled "OLD ENGLISH," suggesting this depicts outdated courtship behavior. The bottom cartoon, titled "PROBABLY NOT," shows two men in top hats. One (Jenkins) asks if the other (Jimkins) has quit smoking; Jimkins replies "Can't say for sure—he died the other day." This is dark humor about Jimkins' death, likely from smoking-related illness. Both cartoons are brief jokes rather than political satire, typical of period satirical magazines.