The Wasp — 1895 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The New Way" Cartoon Analysis This cartoon depicts three men in what appears to be a nighttime street scene. The caption reads: "First Touch Citizen—See here, mister, lend us your watch. Belated Pedestrian—What do you want my watch for? Second Touch Citizen—We're going to Oakland and I'm afraid we'll miss the last boat." The satire targets street robbery and mugging. The "touch citizens" (slang for muggers/pickpockets) are accosting a "belated pedestrian" (a late-night traveler). Their absurd excuse—needing the watch to catch a boat to Oakland—mocks criminals' thin pretexts for theft. The joke exposes the brazenness of San Francisco Bay Area street crime circa 1895, where robbers operated openly enough to make ridiculous demands. It's social commentary on urban lawlessness and public safety concerns of the era.