The Wasp — 1891 — page 59: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page from *The Wasp* consists primarily of **text articles rather than political cartoons**. The main piece, "Chamisso and Kotzebue in San Francisco," is a literary essay discussing a visiting Russian-German writer named Artemus Ward and his lectures in San Francisco. The article satirizes Ward's pretensions as a literary figure while praising his actual merit as a humorist. It references specific San Francisco locations and publications (*Cleveland Plaindealer*) and contrasts Ward's modest background with his growing reputation. The page also includes three brief humor sections at bottom: "Proverbs of the Day," "He Needed a Microscope," "How He Counted," and "Housekeeper" — short joke exchanges typical of period magazines. The satire here targets **pretentious literary culture** rather than specific political figures or events.