The Wasp — 1879 — page 42: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon from *The Wasp* (August 16, 1879) depicts a bearded man with a human head riding a donkey, leaping over a line of smaller donkeys. The caption reads "THE MAYRE JUMPING THE CHARGE(R)S"—a pun on "chargers" (horses/burdens). The small text lists numerous warrant numbers and dates, suggesting financial fraud or misappropriation. The cartoon likely satirizes San Francisco's mayor for recklessly jumping over financial obligations or charges. The hybrid human-animal figure may represent someone acting foolishly or dishonestly. The donkeys possibly symbolize the city's burdens or debts he's dodging. Without identifying the specific mayor, the cartoon clearly mocks financial mismanagement or corruption in city government.