Life, 1918-06-13 · page 6 of 36
Life — June 13, 1918 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **product advertisement**, not political satire. The American Chain Company promotes "Weed Anti-Skid Tire Chains" through a cautionary narrative. **The scenario:** Two men discuss a car accident. One reports that the driver's wife was injured because the chauffeur lacked tire chains on wet roads—implying the car owner's negligence caused the disaster. **The message:** The ad argues that failing to equip vehicles with tire chains is dangerously irresponsible, potentially exposing families to "injury and death." It emphasizes preventive safety: "The time to provide against accidents is before they happen." **Historical context:** This reflects early-20th-century automobile safety concerns when tire chains were essential winter equipment for traction on icy or muddy roads. The ad uses fear-based marketing—threatening legal liability and family tragedy—to encourage 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. Only good luck saved your wife from paying the supreme penalty for your negligence. 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 men do not appreciate until too late, that by failing to pro- vide Weed Anti-Skid Chains 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 pro- tection against injury, death, car damage and law sutts. Weed Chains are Sold for All Tires by Dealers Everywhere ya merican cham CompanvAlncorporcted a 7 BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT IN CANADA ; DOMINION CHAIN COMPANY, LIMITED. NIAGARA FALLS, ONTARIO. comicbookseer