The Wasp — 1878 — page 199: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page presents an illustration titled "I tried to get stronger!" showing multiple snails carrying various loads and burdens on their backs. The snails appear to be anthropomorphized figures struggling under different weights—some carrying boxes, structures, or other heavy objects. This is likely satirical commentary on labor, burden, or hardship during a period when The Wasp was published (a San Francisco-based satirical magazine known for social and political criticism). The snails' slow, burdened movement and their attempt "to get stronger" suggests critique of workers laboring under exploitation or impossible conditions. The exact historical context and specific targets remain unclear without additional publication date information, though the imagery clearly critiques some form of systemic struggle or unfair burden-bearing.