Judge, 1913-09-20 · page 24 of 24
Judge — September 20, 1913 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **commercial advertisement**, not political satire. It promotes Postum, a caffeine-free coffee substitute popular in the early 20th century. The illustration shows a domestic scene where children beg an elderly gentleman (presumably a grandfather figure) for Postum. The ad's pitch: Postum tastes like real coffee but is healthier—free from caffeine, which the ad claims causes "impaired health." The phrase "There's a Reason" references Postum's actual advertising slogan. The ad targets health-conscious parents by suggesting children naturally crave Postum and that switching from coffee to this substitute represents responsible parenting and wellness. This reflects Progressive Era concerns about caffeine's effects and the era's marketing of patent medicines and health foods as moral improvements.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Bar None The delicious, snappy flavour of POSTUM Naturally makes the little folks “beg” and it’s a pleasure to yield. While Postum tastes much like rich, mild Java, it is wholesome, nourishing and free from the coffee drug, caffeine—the frequent cause of impaired health. There's a wonderful army of former coffee drinkers now using Postum and one may be sure y b “‘There’s a Reason” comicbooks.com