The Wasp — 1888 — page 37: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains multiple cartoon panels satirizing drought and water management issues affecting California (note "San Francisco 10 P.M." and "When the Dew is on the Rye"). **Top panel**: Shows a Mexican figure with a sombrero standing beside a dried-up horse labeled "Grows Without Irrigation" - mocking California's agricultural struggles without adequate water infrastructure. **Right panels**: Depict nighttime scenes in San Francisco, with figures reacting to moisture/dew conditions, suggesting public concern about water scarcity and its effects on crops and daily life. **Bottom panels**: Show men examining dry vegetation and discussing water conditions ("Here's Health to Thee"), appearing to critique either government water policy or natural drought conditions. The satire targets California's dependency on irrigation and the political/economic consequences of water shortage.