The Wasp — 1877 — page 334: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a satirical cartoon from *The San Francisco Illustrated Wasp*, December 22, 1877. The illustration depicts a bearded man in frontier attire wading through marshland, with exaggerated large hands reaching downward. The caption reads "CARR'S DESERT LAND" with the subtitle "By Gosh! This should be irrigated!" The cartoon appears to mock someone named Carr regarding claims about "desert land"—likely referring to the Desert Land Act or disputes over irrigation and land development in the American West. The satire suggests Carr's claimed "desert" is actually marshy/wetland requiring irrigation, or implies his land claims or development schemes are questionable. The grotesque hand imagery may emphasize greed or grasping behavior regarding western land acquisition.