The Wasp — 1890 — page 290: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page features a biographical profile of **George G. Blanchard**, Republican nominee for Congress from California's Second District. The central portrait shows Blanchard, identified as "ESQ" (Esquire). The article celebrates Blanchard as "an old war-horse, tried and true"—a political veteran with deep California roots since 1840. It details his mining success, founding of Nevada City, and legal career in El Dorado County. The satire is subtle: *The Wasp* uses effusive praise and extended biographical detail to promote a political candidate, inverting the magazine's typical irreverent tone. The adjacent articles on Woodward's Gardens and a savings bank suggest this page functioned partly as political endorsement material.