The Wasp — 1893 — page 341: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains satirical commentary and gossip columns rather than political cartoons. The "Gossip" section critiques San Francisco's deputy school census marshal for inflating school enrollment numbers—a mundane bureaucratic scandal suggesting statistical manipulation for budget purposes. The illustrated vignettes mock specific local figures: one depicts what appears to be a coroner named Dr. W. D. McCarthy in an undignified situation at the Circus Maximus; another shows "Jack Caesar Schroeder" in theatrical dress, likely satirizing his pretensions or recent social controversy. The final section criticizes Japanese and Hawaiian immigrants as "uninteresting" and morally deficient—reflecting the era's xenophobic attitudes. These pieces target San Francisco's civic institutions and minor public figures through gossip and caricature rather than substantive political critique.