The Wasp — 1888 — page 314: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains "Mr. Mulcahey's Tax Statement," a satirical piece by Fremont Wood detailing the property and possessions of an Irish-American character named Dennis Mulcahey. The accompanying cartoon depicts Mulcahey listing absurdly valueless or non-existent items as taxable property—horses, vehicles, livestock—while claiming poverty. The satire targets tax evasion practices among working-class Irish immigrants and critiques the tax assessment system's ineffectiveness. By cataloging ridiculous claims (a "nag" valued at $18, defunct machinery), the piece mocks both dishonest taxpayers and incompetent tax collectors. The humor plays on immigrant stereotypes while exposing class-based tax avoidance schemes common in late 19th-century urban America.