The Wasp — 1888 — page 353: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains editorial text and poetry rather than cartoons. The main pieces address contemporary social issues: **"On the Home-Stretch"** is a repetitive poem about a horse race, using the metaphor of a finish line—likely referencing an upcoming election (1888 was a presidential election year). The editorials discuss: - Legal/probate court expansion issues - Naval recruitment of boys as apprentices (Admiral Porter's proposal) - A critique of wealthy young women in society lacking "modesty" - Ottoman slave markets and European hypocrisy - Oakland residents' complaint about diseased meat supplies The page concludes with humorous passenger dialogue about food options on overland travel. The satire targets legal corruption, military recruitment practices, upper-class pretension, and international commerce ethics—typical Progressive-era concerns of this San Francisco-based publication.