The Wasp — May 1, 1880 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Song of the Stone" - Political Satire Page This page from *The Wasp* contains a parody poem mocking convict labor in California quarries, particularly the construction of the San Bruno Road. The poem satirizes the brutal conditions—prisoners breaking rocks, earning pittance wages, enduring harsh treatment from guards and supervisors. The two cartoons below titled "Vigilant Committings" appear to mock vigilante justice committees. "Dissolving Views" (left) shows figures in confrontation, while "Where There is a Will There is 'Away'" (right) depicts what appears to be chaotic or violent scenes, likely criticizing how vigilante groups dispensed their own brutal justice outside legal channels. The satire targets both prison labor exploitation and extrajudicial violence in California society.