The Wasp — 1879 — page 57: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon from *The Wasp* depicts a bearded man at a "Sheriff's Office" window, labeled as being at the "Baldwin Hotel." He holds a "$500 Reward" notice and operates pulleys controlling two birdcages below—one containing a flying figure (possibly an angel or escaped prisoner) and another filled with people. The title "How Saville She(e)r Off" appears to be a pun on "Saville" and "shear/sheer," suggesting someone escaping or slipping away. The cartoon likely satirizes a specific crime, jail escape, or reward situation involving San Francisco law enforcement. Without additional context about the Baldwin Hotel incident or who "Saville" references, the exact historical event remains unclear, though the imagery suggests commentary on law enforcement competence or corruption.