The Wasp — 1890 — page 447: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts two men in Victorian-era clothing engaged in physical conflict. The caption "Queer Animosity" presents their quarrel as oddly amusing rather than serious. The dialogue identifies them as **Mr. Frank** and **Mr. Crane**—likely recognizable figures to *The Wasp*'s contemporary San Francisco readers, though their specific identities are unclear today. Mr. Frank complains that Mr. Crane crushed his mail that morning, causing Mr. Crane to respond with mock apology, claiming he couldn't help being "cruel" given his position as a "small proprietor of a house." The satire appears to target petty feuds or business disputes between local figures, mocking their exaggerated hostility over trivial matters. The cartoonist presents their conflict as absurdly disproportionate to its cause.