The Wasp — 1893 — page 517: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a satirical story/illustration rather than a political cartoon. The top illustration shows grotesque goblin-like figures menacing two well-dressed men, one reading a newspaper. The accompanying text is a fictional narrative about Bohemian San Francisco society figures—specifically mentioning people named Magee, Harrington, and Hughes—who allegedly visited Mill Valley. The story uses supernatural goblin imagery as a metaphor for social embarrassment or scandal. The satire targets San Francisco's wealthy bohemian elite and their pretensions. References to "Magee's spirit," "Joseph Harrington," and "Potterbill" suggest these were recognizable local figures whose private behavior or social failures The Wasp's editors wished to ridicule publicly through this allegorical ghost-story format.