The Wasp — 1878 — page 194: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The main cartoon depicts a skeleton labeled "GOSSIP" being confronted by a figure in period dress. This satirizes how gossip—represented as death itself—destroys reputations and social standing. The image warns against spreading rumors and idle talk. The text below discusses various California political and social issues of the era, including the Goodwin Jail Delivery Bill, Chinese immigration debates, and legislative corruption. There's commentary on clothing-line customs (women hanging laundry over fences), dental services, and property speculation. A secondary illustration shows a hat with "A New Use for High Collars"—apparently satirizing fashion absurdities. The content reflects 1870s-era California concerns: political reform, immigrant anxieties, and social propriety debates among the urban middle class.