The Wasp — 1877 — page 256: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains two sections: a letters column responding to reader submissions, and a poem titled "The Unknown Dead" by T.J. Butts. The letters column discusses various topics including San Francisco church vacancies, writing style in journalism, and a detailed account of a prison scene involving a man named Gilman. The prose narrative describes Gilman's arrest and interrogation at what appears to be a jail, detailing the clerk's questions and Gilman's responses about his background and possessions. The poem appears to be a sentimental piece about death and the afterlife, with themes of rest and heavenly welcome. The page functions as a typical 19th-century magazine back matter combining reader engagement and literary content rather than political satire.