The Wasp — 1890 — page 488: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily a directory of hotels and watering places along California's Pacific Coast, interspersed with small advertisements and notices. The main content consists of listings for establishments in San Francisco, Sacramento, Monterey, and other locations, with proprietor names and rates. The only significant satirical content is "The Drummer's Dilemma," a brief dialogue between a traveling salesman and an archbishop debating whether commerce or religion represents a greater calling. The archbishop's final comment—"Neither can I"—appears to mock both professions as morally compromised. The page concludes with a large advertisement for Hotel Del Monte in Monterey, described as "America's Famous Summer and Winter Resort" and "the most elegant seaside establishment in the world." This is primarily commercial rather than satirical content.