The Wasp — 1893 — page 210: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes disappointed job-seekers who came to San Francisco expecting federal office positions in Washington D.C., but found none available. The roadside sign reading "California to Washington 3000 Miles" emphasizes the distance these men must travel to reach their destination. The figures in the foreground carry bundles labeled "Petition" and appear dejected, turning away from the California landscape. The long line of similar figures stretching into the distance suggests this is a widespread phenomenon—many office-seekers converging on San Francisco, only to be disappointed. The title's irony ("No Place Like Home") mocks their predicament: having traveled far for political patronage positions, they've found San Francisco offers only "free-lunch counters"—a reference to cheap meals rather than lucrative government appointments. The cartoon critiques both the job-seekers' misplaced hopes and patronage politics generally.