The Wasp — 1889 — page 286: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains short humorous sketches and witty exchanges rather than political cartoons. The pieces mock various social types and situations: **"The Doctor's Amusement"** satirizes doctors' need to constantly "kill time" between patients. **"A New Recipe for Debts"** presents a comedic exchange about avoiding creditors through absurd logic. **"They Don't Go In"** jokes about college excuses and student behavior. **"Excelsior"** appears to be a poem about Oklahoma settlement and prairie life, possibly satirizing westward expansion rhetoric. Other brief pieces mock tender bridegrooms, sailors, and various contemporary figures. The humor relies on wordplay, double meanings, and exaggerated character types typical of late-19th-century American satirical magazines. The content reflects period concerns about debt, education, and westward expansion rather than specific political events.