The Wasp — 1878 — page 273: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The cartoon shows a wasp (the magazine's mascot) wearing a sash labeled "THE WASP" and holding what appears to be a lamp or torch. The image illustrates the magazine's self-presentation as sharp social commentary. The surrounding text consists of brief satirical items mocking various targets: political frauds, Indian bureau corruption, an unreliable medical cure for rheumatism, and a poet trying unsuccessfully to sell manuscript poetry. There's also gossip about Susan B. Anthony and Ben Butler, plus anecdotes about young hunters and a woman's train journey. This page exemplifies *The Wasp*'s format: short, punchy satirical commentary on contemporary social figures, government inefficiency, and everyday absurdities—humor aimed at San Francisco's educated readership through mockery of politicians, pretension, and human folly.