The Wasp — 1891 — page 295: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is primarily an **advertising page** with a small illustrated feature. The main content is commercial ads for liquor, pianos, and other products typical of late 19th/early 20th-century San Francisco publications. The central illustration titled "PASTIME ON A SUMMER'S VACATION" shows a figure labeled **"The Wasp"** (the magazine's mascot—an anthropomorphic wasp) engaged in what appears to be street activity. Below it is "THE SONG OF THE 'FOOL' SELLERS" by Alfred I. Townsend—verse content mocking or satirizing people who prey on gullible folk, likely con artists or financial schemers. The text references "fools" and money, suggesting social commentary on fraud or exploitation. The specific identities and detailed satirical targets remain unclear from the image quality and text alone.