The Wasp — 1879 — page 649: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily **advertising content** with minimal satirical material. The main text article discusses "The Quincy System" in public schools, featuring a letter from T.W. Parker (Superintendent of Quincy Public Schools) defending the educational method against criticism. Parker humorously suggests a teacher implementing the system should earn $1,000 annually—an exorbitant sum for the era, used satirically to highlight the method's difficulty. The remainder consists of period advertisements for starch, bitters, oils, an upholsterer, and a San Francisco hat merchant. There are small illustrations accompanying product ads but no political cartoons visible. The page demonstrates how 19th-century satirical magazines supplemented editorial content with paid advertisements.