The Wasp — 1894 — page 54: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains a satirical article about horse racing at Portland and San Francisco tracks, criticizing jockey Nick Hall's brutal treatment of horses during races. The text mocks both Hall's violent methods (whipping, use of a "black snake" whip) and the race-fixing schemes involving starter Curley Brown. The illustration titled "A Serenade" depicts a man serenading a building, likely satirizing romantic or sentimental notions in contrast to the rough sporting world discussed above. The "Our Authors" cartoon at bottom right shows three figures discussing newspaper scandals, with text identifying Ambrose Fierce and Arthur Sturgis as contributors whose sensationalized writing about the racing riots drives public outrage—suggesting the satirical magazine itself is critiquing how press coverage inflames controversy.