Judge — September 25, 1915 — page 15: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is primarily an **advertisement for Sterling chewing gum** rather than political satire. The comic strip panels above show a Sherlock Holmes-style detective ("my dear Watson") investigating gum quality through humorous scenarios. The "7-point Gum" refers to Sterling's marketing claims about manufacturing excellence: purity of ingredients, factory cleanliness, daylight production, and hand-hygiene (employees wear fresh white gloves). The ad invites readers to identify the mysterious seventh point themselves, implying hidden quality. This reflects early-20th-century advertising conventions where brands emphasized *hygiene and purity* as selling points—concerns that resonated after food-safety scandals of the era. The Holmes parody adds whimsy to what is essentially a product pitch, positioning Sterling as meticulously quality-controlled compared to competitors.