The Wasp — 1891 — page 354: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts a prospector or miner caught in a legal contradiction. Two signs reference conflicting regulations: one stating "$100 worth of labor required" on mining claims (U.S. Statute), the other declaring "All labor on hydraulic mines is absolutely prohibited" (Order of Judge Sawyer). The miner's bewilderment—literally asking "What am I to do?"—illustrates the impossible position created by these opposing mandates. This likely satirizes California's ongoing disputes over hydraulic mining practices in the 1880s-90s, which caused environmental damage but generated economic activity. The cartoon critiques the legal gridlock preventing miners from complying with contradictory state and federal requirements simultaneously.