The Wasp — 1879 — page 387: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The main cartoon depicts a goat jumping off a suspension bridge, illustrating a news item about a Kennedyvillan named Sykes who jumped off Niagara's new suspension bridge into the river. The satire—calling such reckless acts "dauntless"—mocks the sensationalism around dangerous stunts. The goat serves as a visual pun, suggesting foolishness. The page is primarily advertisements (opticians, upholsterers, dress makers, saws, toy cannons) interspersed with brief news items like a suicide attempt in New York and squirrel-poisoning troubles in Kansas. At bottom, three "Old Judge" tobacco advertisements span the page, a recurring commercial presence in *The Wasp*. The overall tone treats dramatic current events with humorous irreverence typical of 1880s satirical journalism.