The Wasp — 1878 — page 152: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon from *The Wasp* (March 9, 1878) depicts a regulation addressing saloon operations in San Francisco. The text states: "SALOON KEEPERS ARE PROHIBITED FROM SELLING MORE THAN ONE DRINK TO ANY CUSTOMER IN TWO HOURS." The cartoon shows two figures—a bearded man (likely representing a saloon keeper or legislator) holding a pocket watch, gesturing toward a smaller man in a top hat. The exaggerated caricatures and the absurd one-drink-per-two-hours restriction suggest satire of either overreaching temperance legislation or a specific proposed bill (possibly by someone named Kanna, as indicated by the caption). The joke mocks the impracticality of such a law for saloon business, likely criticizing both temperance advocates and the legislative process itself.