The Wasp — 1894 — page 271: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts **Officer O'Hagerty (at Market street crossing)** encountering **Mrs. O'Hara and Widow O'Hara**, who "rather enjoy having her waist encircled by an arm of the law." The satire mocks romantic or flirtatious interactions between Irish-American women and police officers, stereotyping both groups through exaggerated Irish names and dialect ("O ink yez can cross now, Mrs. O'Hara"). The joke plays on class and ethnic stereotypes common to 1890s San Francisco—depicting working-class Irish immigrants as overly familiar with authority figures. The drawing style and subject matter reflect The Wasp's satirical approach to local character types and social hierarchies of the period.