The Wasp — 1891 — page 51: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains a personal memoir by Col. J. D. Stevenson recounting his military service during California's early American period. The accompanying portrait shows Stevenson himself. The text describes recruiting and military experiences, including anecdotes about Los Angeles society, mining operations at Mokelumne Hill, and various colorful characters encountered. There's a humorous exchange about a pig evading a butcher's knife. Rather than political satire, this appears to be historical narrative with comedic personal anecdotes. The page concludes with advertisements, including Dr. Harter's Wild Cherry Bitters. The "satire" here is genteel social humor rather than sharp political commentary—typical of 19th-century magazine miscellanies mixing memoir, humor, and advertising.