Life, 1918-04-25 · page 6 of 40
Life — April 25, 1918 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertising, not satire**. It's a vintage advertisement for Weed Tire Chains, manufactured by the American Chain Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The illustration shows a car accident scene—a wrecked automobile near a signpost—presented as a cautionary image. The accompanying text argues that tire chains prevent skidding accidents on wet or icy roads. The ad criticizes motorists who ignore warnings about unsafe tire conditions, claiming they don't believe in tire chains' necessity until experiencing disasters themselves. The satirical element is mild: the ad mocks drivers' resistance to safety precautions, suggesting they lack "prudence and intelligence" by ignoring insurance companies' recommendations for chain use. This reflects early 20th-century automotive safety concerns when winter driving was genuinely hazardous.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
x tama Reflections After the Skidding Accident Reflections that show ‘Tire Chains as the only They read the new SS ee ee eon a nper accounts of disastrous real dependable device for the prevention of skid- skidding accidents caused by Jack of ‘Tire Chains, ding, do not come to some motorists until their bare but they do not heed the warning. They wait | rubber tires skid and carry them upon the rocks until the skidding of their own bare rubber tires of disaster. How strange it is that some men results in) death, injury or car-damage — betore are never guided by the experience of others, never they realize that tires are safe on wet-slippery- take the lesson home to themselves until too Jate. skiddy roads only when encased in ‘Tire Chains. Weed Tire Chains Weed Tire Chains for mobile insurers te Pneumatic Tires he use of ‘Tire Solid Tires sualty and Surety Company pile policies th ion of skidding. Could Weed Chains on Your Tires Reflect Your Prudence and Intelligence AMERICAN CHAIN COMPANY, Inc. BRIDGEPORT CONNECTICUT In Canada: Dominion Chain Company, Limited, Niagara Falls, Ontario Lyf Largest Chain Manufacturers in the World — The Complete Chain Line—All Types, All Sizes, All Finishes—From Plumbers’ Safety Chain to Ships’ Anchor Chain stronger endorseme comicbooksg¢eng