Judge — February 23, 1918 — page 35: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is an advertisement for Weed Tire Chains, not a political cartoon. It features a man in a cap holding a curved tire chain, with falling raindrops illustrated above. The ad's message urges drivers to immediately put on tire chains at the first sign of rain for safety against skidding—a practical concern when road traction was a genuine hazard in early automotive history. The "impulse" referenced is the instinctive response to approaching wet weather. The American Chain Company, based in Bridgeport, Connecticut, markets their product as "the only dependable safeguard" for vehicle safety. This reflects the era when tire chains were essential winter/wet-weather equipment.