The Wasp — 1894 — page 239: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page from *The Wasp* satirizes San Francisco's social elite and their rivalries. The main text discusses Ed Greenway's conflict with James Brett Stokes over Festina Lente Club membership—a exclusive social organization. The satire mocks Greenway's attempts to manipulate club politics and his rivalry with Stokes, suggesting his aggressive social climbing is ridiculous. The decorative illustration titled "The Wearing of the Green" is a commemorative St. Patrick's Day design listing Irish names, likely referencing San Francisco's significant Irish-American population. The bottom illustration "Lotta's Fountain" depicts a conversation about a public monument erected to honor a woman killed by a man insulting her brother—suggesting commentary on San Francisco's honor culture or specific local incident.