The Wasp — 1877 — page 306: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The small illustration at top-left depicts a cherub or cupid figure driving a chariot pulled by clouds, with text below reading "Jones has not yet caught up with the silver dollar; he's on the cent." This is a political/economic jab—likely at a specific public figure named Jones—suggesting he is far behind in financial success or political progress, "on the cent" (a pun meaning both literally a small coin and figuratively worthless/insignificant). The satirical implication is that Jones is perpetually chasing wealth or advancement but achieving only negligible gains. The cartoon appears in The Wasp's typical format of brief, pointed satirical commentary on local San Francisco politics and society.