The Wasp — 1881 — page 30: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a satirical illustration titled "Our Public Servants—The Letter Carrier," dated San Francisco, August 8th, 1894. The cartoon mocks postal workers during a period of labor unrest. The main figure shows an overloaded mail carrier struggling under an enormous burden of packages and letters at a San Francisco Post Office. Small vignettes include a donkey similarly overburdened and a mailbox overflowing with parcels, emphasizing the impossible working conditions. The Pope quote below—"Heaven first taught letters for some wretch's aid"—suggests ironic commentary: postal work, supposedly a public service, has become grueling exploitation rather than assistance to citizens. The satire critiques either inadequate postal infrastructure, underpaid/overworked carriers, or both—reflecting 1890s labor tensions when public sector workers faced severe strain.