The Wasp — 1879 — page 18: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The page features a cartoon labeled "Oh! Mister Hackney" showing two figures in conversation. Based on the dialogue and caption, this appears to satirize a hackney cab driver (a taxi driver of the era) and his passenger discussing rates and service complaints. The surrounding text contains various short satirical pieces mocking different social targets: English language affectations, Texas sheriffs, holiday gift-givers, and others. One piece ridicules the English language itself as pretentious. The page also includes dividend notices and advertisements, which were typical of 19th-century magazines. Without clearer identification of specific named figures or dated events in the cartoon itself, the precise political target remains unclear beyond general working-class mockery common to the period.