The Wasp — 1890 — page 101: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon from *The Wasp* depicts a figure in Roman/classical military dress riding in a chariot pulled by a large bear. The bear wears decorative ornaments and appears fierce and powerful. Two attendants flank the scene—one pointing ahead as if directing, another observing. The imagery invokes classical imperial triumphs, suggesting the cartoon criticizes someone's grandiose ambitions or authoritarian behavior. The bear likely represents California itself or raw frontier power. The classical styling implies the subject is behaving like a tyrant or emperor rather than an elected official. Without visible text identifying the specific figure or clearer dating, I cannot definitively name who this satirizes, though the "California" reference and *The Wasp's* 19th-century publication date suggest commentary on a prominent California political or business leader of that era.