The Wasp — 1893 — page 121: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The main cartoon depicts an officiant (likely a tax collector, based on context) conducting a transaction with a well-dressed gentleman. The humor centers on a crude pun: the officiant offers "genuine pebbles" for five dollars, claiming they're indistinguishable from real stones. When the man protests the obvious fraud, the officiant cynically responds that he "can pick up in the strate, ye'r off, show me some glass." This satirizes corrupt petty officials who brazenly cheat citizens while remaining unpunished. The accompanying text fragments on the right ("Her Father," "A Mistake") suggest related domestic comedies about deception and misunderstanding. The overall theme critiques how con artists operate openly in society with apparent impunity.