The Wasp — 1879 — page 820: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a satirical narrative story rather than a political cartoon. The main illustration shows a table display of goods, likely depicting the "Hanford Depot"—appearing to be a frontier trading post or supply station. The story mocks social pretensions and frontier commerce, particularly targeting what "The Wasp" calls Hanford's inflated reputation. The scenes labeled "The Depot" and "Denis Stone" suggest the narrative ridicules local personalities and their schemes. The text's tone—mentioning "Hanford's way" as "lively" and criticizing "grading"—indicates satire of business practices or civic improvements in what appears to be a California frontier community. The overall piece satirizes both regional pride and commercial deception common in 1880s frontier towns.