The Wasp — 1895 — page 809: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains three distinct sections: 1. **"A Taking Man"** — a satirical poem mocking someone who opportunistically exploits others. The poem describes a man who takes everything from neighbors' spoons to their wives, suggests he's unscrupulous and shameless. 2. **"Business-Like to the Last"** — describes a dying book canvasser negotiating to sell his life story as a bound set, treating even his death as a commercial transaction. It satirizes the commodification of human experience. 3. **"Personalities"** — features a photograph of Ernest S. Simpson, described as "a talented young journalist who has pushed rapidly to the front." The accompanying text praises William Greer Harrison, a clubman and journalist recently returned from New York. The overall theme appears to critique American commercial excess and journalistic opportunism during the early 20th century.