The Wasp — 1879 — page 605: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily text content rather than a political cartoon. The masthead shows *The Illustrated Wasp* logo and publication information (602 California St., San Francisco). The main articles discuss California state politics: criticism of the outgoing 1880 Legislature for accomplishing little despite numerous scandals and indecencies; and "The Severance Horror," a sensational true crime case involving the murder of a servant woman in Richmond, England, whose remains were disposed of in the Thames River. The page appears to be editorial/news commentary rather than satirical cartoons, typical of how 19th-century satirical magazines combined humor with serious journalism to critique political incompetence and report scandals.