Life, 1909-03-04 · page 42 of 44
Life — March 4, 1909 — page 42: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **whiskey advertisement**, not satirical content. The illustration shows a server presenting a bottle to a well-dressed customer, emphasizing brand authenticity. The "satire" is subtle: the ad mocks **counterfeit spirits and market fraud**—widespread problems during Prohibition-era America. The James E. Pepper company claims exclusive rights to the "Pepper" name, warning consumers that competitors use identical methods and trade-marked names while selling inferior products that vary in quality "good today, fair tomorrow." The ad targets consumer anxiety about product substitution and deception. The repeated emphasis on "uniformity," the bottle label as proof of authenticity, and warnings against imitations reflect real marketplace concerns: distillers were indeed mixing products from multiple sources under single brand names. The "secret" revealed is merely consistent production methods—positioning James E. Pepper as the only trustworthy source of genuine whiskey in a market rife with adulterants and fakes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
To be sure of getting real “Old Pepper” Whiskey famil- iarize yourself with thi with this label Old Pepper Whiskey has been continuously distilled for more than 128 years. It is recognized as the finest liquor ever produced in Kentucky. And the very best of all good whiskies have always been made in Kentucky. We are making Old Pepper Whiskey exactly as it was made 128 years ago. It was the best whiskey known in these days, and it is the best whiskey known today. If you try it, you'll say so yourself. How to be Sure of the Genuine We are the only distillers who have any moral right to make whiskey and label it“ Pepper.” This exclusive right descended to The James E. Pepper Distilling Company directly from the old, original Elijah Pepper, who was the pioneer Kentucky distiller. However, there is one sure way of ulways getting the orig inal, mellow Old Pepper. And the first thing to do is to make a mental note of the words ‘* James E,"" Then, don't ask for Old Pepper Whiskey any more, but al- ways ask for Old James E. Pepper. It may be a little m more trouble—but you will find it surely worth while, Just try it and see, If you have never tried Old James E, Pepper Whiskey you can’t be expected to be very enthusiustic about it. But we'll wager that once you do try it, you will never again use anything else. For every true judye of liquor knows that no other such whiskey is made anywhere in this country. Here’s the Secret! Old James E. Pepper Whiskey is always uniform, Uniformity is only possible where identical methods are pursued year after year. Our men are so old at the service that it has become second nature to them to follow always the same formula. Other distillers make no attempt at uniformity. Frequently the product of many distilleries, using totally diferent methods, are sold under one trade-marked name. Thus the whiskey may be good today, fair tomorrow and rank the next day. When you buy a bottle of Old James E. Pepper, bottled in bond, you can count upon its being ideatical in quality with any other bottle on the market. And more than this: no distiller ever knew how to make whiskey us good as old James E. Pepper is made. We alone possess the secret tat made the name * Pepper” stand for the best of all that #s good in whiskey. Will You Try It? There is a saying that the only way to dnow a thing is to try it. If you like good whiskey and are willing to take pains to get it, we'll make it easy for you to test Old James E. Pepper. Every good dealer in the United States has the genuint Old James E. Pepper Whiskey in stock, or he can get it for you without trouble. If any dealer refuses to supply you, send us his name and we will see that you are supplied at the following prices: 1 full gallon in two half gal. bottles, or 4 full quarts 7 year old Bottled in Bond, in plain Packages, charge prepaid. .. - $5.00 or 12 full quart bottles, 7 year old Bottled in Bond, in plain package, chai prepaid, for. . 18,00 If you order from us we guarantee safe delivery and com plete satisfaction or money back. Send for booklet, “Kentucky Pioneers "—free on request. Address as follows: The James E. Pepper Distilling Co., 1 Frankfort Pike, Lexington, Kentucky; or, 6or Rector Bldg» Chicago, Ils. ; or, 110 Water Street, New York, N.Y. In ordet- ing please address the office nearest you. THE WILLIAMS PRINTING COMPANY comicbooks.com