Life, 1913-04-10 · page 37 of 48
Life — April 10, 1913 — page 37: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily a **Gargoyle Mobiloil lubricating oil advertisement** disguised as educational content, interspersed with cartoons. The three small cartoons (left side) use broad, exaggerated caricatures—appearing to depict working-class or ethnic figures in comedic scenarios—to deliver wordplay about friction and wear. The humor relies on crude visual stereotyping typical of early 20th-century American comics. Captions like "You won't ride in a hearse / Cuz a mouse is much worse" and "Accordin' to 'ow loidies figger" suggest phonetic dialect humor. The advertisement's "serious" portion warns that improper motor lubrication causes unnecessary friction, power loss, and repair costs. It promotes Gargoyle Mobiloil as the scientifically correct solution, offering a detailed chart specifying the proper oil grade for each automobile make. The satire is subtle: Life presents commercial messaging as urgent consumer advice while the crude cartoons provide entertainment. This blending of advertising with comedy was characteristic of Life's commercial approach during this period.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
For Friction ? Friction steals mileage that belongs to you. In time its constant rub—rub—rub wears out every motor. The time depends on the lubrication. Every year hundreds of thousands of automobiles go over the road—lubricated— yes—but lubricated badly. Generally these motorists will say that their cars “‘seem to be working all right."”. But unnecessary friction is at work. Its common results are: (1) Undue loss of power. a = (2) Unnecessary repair troubles. Correct Lubrication (3) An excess consumption of fuel. teenie] [os lie (4) An excess consumption of lubricating oil. These losses are traceable to one common cause—carcless and im- proper lubrication. _ Any oil will lubricate to an extent. So will lard. But a lubricating oil, to have efficient lubricating qualities, must both wear well in use, and furnish proper protection under the heat of service. Such oils are rare. Given an cil with these qualities (and remember they are rare), you must next make sure that the oil's “body,” or thickness, meets 4p the feed requirements of your motor. Motors and feed systems differ widely. The oil suited to one motor will often be entirely too light or too heavy for another. The problem presented is both serious and complex. To establish a sound guide to correct automobile lubrication, we have taken a step of the utmost importance to the motorist. We have done what had to be done. Each year we carefully analyze the motor of each make of automobile. § Based on this motor-analysis and on practical experience, we have specified in a lubricating chart (printed in part on this page) the correct grade of Gargoyle Mobiloil for each make of automobile. The superior efficiency of these oils has been thoroughly proven by {=u practical tests. If you use oil of less-correct “body,” or of lower lubricating qualities, than that specified for your car, sooner or later your motor must pay the consequences. Unnecessary friction must result. Ultimate sertous damage will follow. A booklet containing our complete lubricating chart and points on ¢ lubrication, will be mailed on request. She dared him to pull on the trigger. As he pulled it he said with a snigger, “You won't ride in a hearse These are the facts. Cuz a mouse is much worse— Your lubrication will determine the life of your car, It remains for you to decide on your lubricant for the coming season. GARCONG Mobiloil A grade for each type of motor Tif eo welenetiorst 43333 F ‘The various grades, refined and filtered to remove free carbon, are: Gargoyle Mobiloll argoyle Mobiloll rgoyl goyle Mobiloil rgoyle Mobiloil who Sehttibiositistty ote! foR3S. bb>>y>. CPESEREEE D> BD In buying Gargoyle Mobiloils from dealers it is safest to purchase a full barrel Som half-barrel or sealed five-gallon, or one-gallon can. Make certain that the name and our red Gargoyle appear on the container. VACUUM OIL CO., Rochester, U. S. A. ,, . DETROIT BostoN NEW YoRK CHICAGO PHILADELPHIA _ INDIANAPOLI BRANCHES: Ford Bldg. 49 Federal St. 29 Broadway ‘Fisher Bldg. 4th & Chestnut Sts Indiana Pythias Bldg, Distributing warehouses in the principal cities of the world Accordin’ to ‘ow loidies figger.” comicbooks.com