The Wasp — 1891 — page 233: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily **advertisements** for San Francisco businesses (liquor dealers, pianos, shipping companies, etc.), with one central cartoon titled "The Jolly Bathers of Santa Barbara." The cartoon depicts two figures bathing in water in a playful, intimate embrace. The accompanying text discusses **Revenue Collector J. C. Quinn**, praising his effectiveness at exposing fraud and corruption—specifically mentioning his discovery of a forged certificate scheme involving opium smuggling and Chinese protection rackets. The satire appears to connect Quinn's work exposing hidden schemes to the cartoon's bathing figures, likely suggesting that Quinn has "exposed" or revealed illicit activities that were previously concealed. However, the exact satirical point remains **unclear without additional historical context** about Santa Barbara's 1880s politics or Quinn's specific cases.