The Wasp — 1894 — page 71: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

**Left cartoon: "Frisco Celebrities"** This caricatures Deputy Street Superintendent George E. Ackerson with an exaggerated mustache and prominent nose. He stands before his office while a sign reads "Grand Jury Calcium." The accompanying verse sarcastically attacks him for allegedly embezzling or misappropriating public funds ("they accuse me of wrongdoing"). The satire suggests Ackerson faced corruption charges, with the "calcium" reference unclear—possibly alluding to construction materials or kickbacks. **Right section: "Merely a Question of Place"** Three parsons debate whether a woman (Mrs. Evans) should attend church while involved in a scandalous drama. The satire mocks ecclesiastical hypocrisy—clergy debating propriety while overlooking actual moral issues. **"Echo of the Preachers' Banquet"** A story criticizing wealthy clergy who dine lavishly while the poor starve, highlighting class hypocrisy within religious institutions.