The Wasp — 1890 — page 77: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains a satirical story titled "Trials of the Country Postmaster," mocking rural mail service inefficiency. The narrative presents a conversation between Postmaster Samuel Quintillan Bradford and his neighbor Deacon Latham, who complains about delayed mail delivery. The humor targets the unreliability of 19th-century provincial postal systems—letters take weeks to arrive, mail gets lost, and the postmaster seems indifferent. The accompanying sketch depicts two figures at a rural post office, illustrating the story's frustrations. The satire critiques both incompetent rural administrators and the limitations of period mail infrastructure, resonating with contemporary readers dependent on postal service for business and communication. The page also includes book reviews under "Current Literature," indicating this is a general-interest satirical publication.