The Wasp — October 18, 1879 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This appears to be a satirical multi-panel cartoon from *The Wasp* magazine criticizing railroad or transit practices. The top panel shows two large caricatured figures (likely prominent businessmen or politicians) overseeing a "Geary St. R.R." (Geary Street Railroad) toll operation, with passengers boarding. The caption reads "A Sermon in Stones." The bottom panels depict smaller figures at what appear to be toll booths or collection points, with text referencing "All's well that ends well" and "Any body can see through a mill-st[one]." This suggests the cartoon mocks the transparency of corrupt toll-collection schemes or the obvious exploitation of public transit users through excessive fees—the "sermon" being that greed is plainly visible to all observers.