The Wasp — July 24, 1880 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Hanford Depot and What Came of It" This satirical piece by W.A.J. mocks Hanford, a Central Valley town the author claims is known for "durning trade," poor soil, and social pretension despite its modest circumstances. The accompanying illustrations show a train depot and townspeople, apparently depicting Hanford residents' inflated self-importance. The text ridicules the town's supposed aspirations—its "freedom" and "pride"—while suggesting it's actually composed of people concerned with superficial status markers. The detailed satire implies Hanford was either a newly developing settlement with grandiose claims or a target of regional mockery familiar to *The Wasp*'s San Francisco audience. The piece exemplifies late-19th-century California provincial satire: poking fun at smaller towns' pretensions to sophistication and prosperity.