The Wasp — 1889 — page 329: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains humorous anecdotes and satirical vignettes rather than a single political cartoon. The central illustration shows two men in period dress at a doorway, labeled "NOT RETURNABLE." The text includes several sections mocking American exaggeration and Confederate attitudes ("Why, down in Mississippi we knock a bombshell off a blacksmith's anvil at three hundred yards"). There's humor about Californian fireflies and cooking. A section called "A NEW TERM FOR IT" discusses Francis Wilson, a comedian performing in a baseball play. Other segments satirize real estate agents, General Whiteley (likely a military figure), and various civilian types. The humor relies on period-specific references to the Civil War, American regionalism, and contemporary social pretensions. Without additional context about specific historical figures mentioned, the exact targets of some satire remain unclear.