Life, 1916-03-09 · page 6 of 44
Life — March 9, 1916 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **Weed Anti-Skid Chains advertisement** disguised as editorial content, a common early-20th-century marketing tactic. The "cartoon" depicts two men in hats examining a crystal ball showing a car accident scene with a vehicle skidding on wet pavement. The dramatic narrative blames the car owner for negligence—specifically for failing to equip his chauffeur with tire chains, resulting in an accident that injured his wife. The message exploits contemporary anxieties about automobiles (still relatively new and dangerous) to promote Weed Chains as essential safety equipment. The moral lesson—that accidents are preventable through proper preparation—is designed to shame readers into purchasing the product. The ad emphasizes liability and legal consequences alongside personal injury, making a business case for the chains' purchase.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“What! My Car?” “Yes! skidded—and it’s up to you. You failed to provide the chauffeur with Tire Chains. for your negligence. Only good luck saved your wife from paying the supreme penalty She’s on the way to the hospital painfully injured, but the doctor thinks she’ll pull through. You'd better hurry to the hospital and then report to Headquarters”. How strange it is that disaster must come to some men before they realize that all makes and types of tires will skid on wet pavements and muddy roads when not equipped with Chains. These mendo not appreciate, until too late, that by failing toprovide Weed Anti-SkidChains they expose their families to injury and death. The time to provide against accidents is before they happen. Don’t wait until after the first skid. Put Weed Chains on all four tires at the first indication of slippery going and you will have quadruple protection against injury, death, car damage and law suits. Weed Chains are Sold for All Tires by Dealers Everywhere AMERICAN CHAIN CO. Inc.. BRIDGEPORT, CONN. Sole Manufacturers of Weed Anti-Skid Chains were Mane Mees maton comicbooks.com