The Wasp — 1888 — page 264: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily a **directory of hotels and lodging establishments** across California and the Pacific Coast, organized alphabetically by location (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento, etc.). The page contains **no political cartoons or satirical content**—it is a commercial advertising section listing hotel names, proprietors, room rates, and amenities. Typical entries describe accommodations as "first class," note features like "hot and cold water" or "European plan," and quote daily or weekly rates. This represents The Wasp's business model: while the magazine was known for satirical content elsewhere, it also relied on substantial advertising revenue from the hospitality industry to sustain operations. The directory format was common in late 19th/early 20th-century publications.