The Wasp — 1891 — page 280: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is **primarily advertising with minimal editorial content**. The main cartoon, titled "IT DID NOT WORK," depicts a man attempting to use a stick of wood as a tool or lever with a horse—a visual gag about ineffective problem-solving. The accompanying story mocks his failed effort and exhaustion. The page otherwise consists of classified ads and business advertisements for San Francisco establishments (restaurants, photographers, dentists, real estate), plus a brief humorous dialogue about citizens' reasons for the city's failure—likely satirizing local civic or economic conditions. Without clear political figures or dated references visible, the humor appears to target general human folly and everyday frustrations rather than specific contemporary events or personalities.