The Wasp — 1890 — page 473: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page presents a serialized satirical story by Sam Davis rather than political cartoons. The narrative concerns Mr. Stoddard, a San Francisco resident who encounters a stranger at a billiards hall claiming to be "Jim Stoddard of Arizona"—someone who allegedly sold Stoddard a silver mine for $15,000 years ago. The joke centers on a classic con-artist scheme: the stranger uses vague references to past dealings and mining ventures to manipulate Stoddard into believing they've met before, gradually extracting details to construct a false shared history. The illustrations show the tension and social awkwardness of this encounter at what appears to be a hotel or restaurant setting. The satire mocks gullible urban dwellers vulnerable to confidence schemes by strangers.