The Wasp — 1889 — page 186: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains three distinct pieces of satirical content: 1. **"A Bargain in Horseflesh"**: A humorous story about Mr. Bowser purchasing a defective horse, with the seller using increasingly absurd justifications for the animal's poor behavior. The satire targets deceptive salesmanship and buyer gullibility. 2. **"Wind Instead of Pay"**: A poem mocking a financially struggling preacher whose congregation compensates him with moral platitudes rather than actual wages—satirizing religious hypocrisy and exploitation of clergy. 3. **"Why Senator Blackburn Would Not Trade"**: An anecdote about Senator Blackburn's encounter with a well-armed Indian demanding an expensive horse trade, played for comedic effect through cultural stereotyping. The page primarily uses satirical humor targeting business fraud, religious greed, and frontier encounters rather than specific political figures.