Life, 1911-11-23 · page 29 of 44
Life — November 23, 1911 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents a **moral lesson through contrasting stories** about automobile safety, wrapped in advertisements and a philosophical poem. **The main content** comprises two parallel narratives about cars on icy roads—one arriving safely, one crashing—designed to promote Weed Anti-Skid Chains. The left car's driver was "thoughtful and careful," installing chains before rain; the right car's driver was "thoughtless, careless," neglecting precautions and causing a wreck. **The satire** is direct: the accident exists solely to advertise a product. The melodramatic language ("Skid—Crash—Wreckage!") treats a preventable tragedy as inevitable without the advertised chains. **The opening poem** ("The Rich Men and the Wise") offers philosophical counterpoint—wealthy people seek wise counsel, but wise people don't need wealth. This likely frames the page's broader message: *wisdom* (like using safety chains) prevents disaster. **The McCrum-Howell vacuum cleaner ad** occupies significant space, using similar logic: proper cleaning methods prevent dust problems. Overall, this is **primarily advertising disguised as editorial content and moral instruction**—a common early-20th-century magazine technique.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Rich Men and the Wise len A wise man by a rich man once was with some shrewdness asked : “How happens it that wise men oft are seen at rich men’s door, While ne'er at wise men’s doors rich men are seen, barefaced or masked?” The wise man through the rich man's soul this picrcing answer pours: Collect the Dust -Don't spread it! Sweeping with brooms—even with “pare lor sweepers ""—merely churnsthe finer dust into the air of the building. Later the dust set- tles and covers everyexposed sur- face. Thenitis ** dusted This process is tepeated. dust. memont! Vecoum Cleaning is the only'wa: Witt this method highly potished metal is are moved over the surface to cleaned, and every piece, part or particle of dust, dirt, sand, moths, larve, etc., are instantly drawn away by suction. It raises the nap of the carpets and rugs, instead ing it down, as does the broom or Sect fwceper, Kecping these furnishings fresh, bright and attractive at all times and doubling their life. ‘RICHMOND: YASHING Vacuum Cleaning can be instailed in any building, large or small, old or new, town or country. Wherever installed it! will pay for itself in from eightcen to thirty months, Vacuum ‘Cleaning em- braces every provedly successful type of apparatus. "It includes Hand Power Cleaners for $29.00; Ten-Pound Portable Electric Cleaners for $73.00, and built. the-House Plants for $225.00 to a 4 sweeper_plant such as cleans Marshall ‘ore, all on our’ Easy Payment Plan” of 50 cents per week and upward, oraliberal discount will beallowed for cash: The BICHMONZ Portable, Section, Cleaner shown in the illestration weighs but 10 pounds Upstead of 6. All tat leaner There is nothing Flats: be diaphrarms, oe valves, Nehiag to gale’ loose. To operate, simply attach to any socket. Costs one ceat per rate, "Special Agency Plan" enables live, energetic young men to become the Vacuum Cleaning Representa- fives of their respective communities, Our “Special Correspondence Course in Sales- manship,” together with direct instructions from our trained representatives, insures success, Writ for particulars, Local agents wanted exerywher ‘Send for, booklet entitled “How Vacuum Cleaning Saves Honey"; also reference book giving names of 1,800 prominent installations all over the world, Tat MSCrum-HoweEtt Co. Largest Makers of Vacuum Cleaning Systems inthe World !GeNerat Orrices EW YORK 18 Termine! Building: cuicaco-402 MONTREAL 18 NN Concord Strect Branchesor A gencies inother Principal Cities Rain and sleet. A muddy, icy, slippery road. In the distance a car appeared. Steadily and with perfect traction it rapidly approached. On it came sure as a shuttle in the loom, With speed unchecked it struck the sharp curve. Yet it did not shid—it did not even slip or swerve from its course a single inch. Tt swung around the curve, glided on its way— and safety went with it! The driver of the car was thoughtful and careful. He always took Weed Chains with him—and—Ae always put them on ewhen wt rained and when the road was sleety—because WEED ANTI-SKID CHAINS make skidding utterly impossible, SO HE HAD THEM ON_ HIS WHEELS WHEN HE CAME DOWN THE ROAD. The Result—A pleas- ant journey. A safe arrival. Story of This Car The same rain and sleet. The same muddy, icy, slippery road, In the distance a car appeared. It slipped and swerved from side to side as it approached because the wheels did not hold to the road. On came the car and peril came with it! With speed unchecked the car struck the sharp curve, Skid—Crash—Wreckage! Witb foolish dependence on rubber alone, the thoughtless, careless driver neglected to take ‘Weed Chains with him and did not put them on when it commenced to rain and to sleet the road. Take Warning! You know that it is the height of folly to attempt to drive a car over slippery roads awithout the aid of Weed Chains, Then why in the name of reason do you do it? GET WEED CHAINS. Weed Chains, because of their “Creeping Grip” Atall cannot injure tires—they actually preserve them. Reputable . . . Dealers | Weed Chain Tire Grip Co., 28 Moore St., New York City “It is because the wise men know that they of wealth have need, While the rich men of wisdom’s use know not. 'Tis sad indeed! -Poctry of the Orient by W. R. Alger. Declined With Thanks ‘The Duke of Wellington, who had a taste for anything that Napoleon had liked. applied to David the artist, who had painted Napoleon's portrait, request- ing David to execute one of himself. ir,” replied David, “I paint only historical characters. mu Mr. Drake: 1 TELL YOU, DEAR, THAT MUSIC MAY BE VERY FINE, BUT GIVE ME A GOOD OLD-FASHIONED QUACK ANY TIME. comicbooks.com