Life, 1914-01-01 · page 3 of 44
Life — January 1, 1914 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a Wrigley's Spearmint gum advertisement (right side) and an editorial piece titled "Life's Little Optimisms" (left side). The editorial discusses New Year's resolutions and argues that each year contains "fewer grafters, fewer trusts, fewer magnates"—suggesting optimism about progress and reduction of corruption. It reflects early 20th-century Progressive Era attitudes toward business malfeasance and trust-busting. The Wrigley's ad uses decorative figures (a cherub and what appears to be a woman with a baby) climbing a pole marked "1914," visually representing upward progress and the New Year. The advertisement emphasizes purity ("clean, pure, healthful") and includes a caution against counterfeit gum—suggesting the product's popularity made it a target for imitation. Together, the elements express period optimism about improvement and legitimate commerce.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
GUARANTEED FOR ONE YEAR Life's Little Optimisms WE are glad to see the New Year come. It is not so much that we have anything particular against the old year. On the contrary, it was easily one of the best old years that we have ever seen, and that is saying a good deal, as to both number and quality. The point we wish to make, how- ever, is this: during a long and varied existence, we have observed that each year is better than the last one. Each year contains fewer graft- ers, fewer trusts, fewer magnates, fewer of everything that is bad, and more virtue, more generosity, more amiability, more serums and more of everything that is good, This is exactly as it should be, Nor do we need a mere census or other dull statistic to prove this. Man is by nature a curious animal. In or- der to satisfy his curiosity, he is con- stantly finding things out. This can lead only to uplift, forwardness, ad- vancement, progress, improvement, betterment, and other words of synonymous meaning and intent. There are lots of animals in the world, as has been amply proved heretofore, but, in spite of sundry tra- ditions to the contrary, man is the only animal that either knows or cares whether a New Year is a new year or vice versa. In view of that, the con- tention that New Year's is but an op- portunity for more trouble, quickly falls to the ground. Happily this idea is now almost universally held. The pessimist’s cry, formerly common and still, alas, heard occasionally: “ New Year's here. Let us make the worst of it,” will one day be as silent as a submerged phonograph. OSo0L SS _ Oo or \ v.63, +. | “Tell everyone—during the coming year— Be SURE it’s WRIGLEY’S!” Unless they’re sure it’s WRIGLEY’S, they won’t get its delicious benefits. The clean, pure, healthful genuine is al- ways exactly like this: CAUTION! Dishonest persons are wrap- ping rank imitations that are noteven real chewing gum so they look like the genuine WRIGLEY’S. These will be offered you principally by fakirs and candy depart- ments of some 5 and 10c stores. Refuse them! Be SURE it’s WRIGLEY’S WRIGLEYS Millions of people this year will give constant, delicious aid to teeth, breath, appetite and di- gestion. But remember: Be SURE it’s WRIGLEY’S CHEW IT AFTER EVERY MEAL BUY IT BY THE BOX of twenty packages—for 85 cents! of most dealers, It’s clean—pure—healthful—if it’s WRIGLEY’S comicbooks.com