The Wasp — 1893 — page 114: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The main cartoon depicts a man in a suit and hat standing next to a large cylindrical sign reading "ROUND AND ABOUT." Based on the accompanying text, this illustrates **Ernest Hacquett**, a journalist and adventurer who regularly embarked on wild nighttime adventures through San Francisco. The satire mocks Hacquett's reckless behavior: the text describes him stopping robbers, exploring dangerous areas, and generally courting danger while gathering stories. The "round and about" framing suggests his circular, aimless wanderings through the city's rough neighborhoods. The cartoon humorously depicts this self-styled urban adventurer as a somewhat pretentious figure, satirizing both his thirst for dramatic stories and the newspaper culture that celebrated such sensationalism.