The Wasp — 1887 — page 39: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is predominantly **advertising and directory listings** for hotels, boarding houses, and groceries across California and San Francisco. The commercial content fills most of the space. There is one **satirical article** titled "Been There Himself," presenting humorous anecdotes about robbery and plants. The jokes appear to mock social pretensions and naïveté—including a story about a man robbed on a train, and another about a woman's houseplants. These seem designed to gently ridicule everyday foolishness rather than target specific political figures. A **silk and ribbons advertisement** on the left side uses the typical advertising imagery of the period. The page lacks prominent political cartoons or caricatures. It functions primarily as a **commercial directory** with light humor interspersed among business listings.