The Wasp — 1887 — page 183: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains three distinct sections: a lengthy article titled "THE SAN JOSE 'BOOM,'" a poem titled "MY ANGUISH," and advertisements. The main article discusses San Jose's real estate and business development, praising its growth while critically examining local firms like Rucker & Co. and Bovee, Toy & Co. The piece appears satirical, examining whether San Jose's economic "boom" is genuine or speculative hype. "My Anguish" is a sentimental poem about heartbreak and lost love, likely satirizing melodramatic verse popular in the era. The bottom advertisement announces P. M. Smith's fruit ranch for sale. Without visible cartoons or caricatures on this page, the satire operates through text rather than imagery—critiquing San Jose's business practices and mocking sentimental poetry conventions of the period.