Life, 1919-02-27 · page 3 of 38
Life — February 27, 1919 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a political cartoon but a product advertisement** from Life magazine. It promotes Miller Rubber Company's "Geared-to-the-Road Uniform Mileage" tires, marketed to automobile owners. The ad addresses a genuine automotive concern of the era: springs bouncing under load create impacts that damage tires prematurely. Miller's solution was a tire design with caterpillar-like treads that supposedly engage the ground like cogs, providing better traction and shock absorption. The illustration shows a male mechanic or salesman displaying the tire. The copy emphasizes that Miller tires, like Miller fabric tires generally, have no "second bests"—all are built to uniform standards. This reflects early 20th-century automobile culture when tire quality significantly affected vehicle performance and longevity.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Stop That Destructive Pounding From Below the Springs Cradle That Unsprung Weight On Miller Uniform Cords Those dead-weight blows of the load that springs can’t reach are what shatter cars to pieces long before their time. Double your speed and the blows are many times harder. It's a problem that motor car engineers can’t solve. Now comes a way that practically ends this evil—The Miller Cord Tire—buoy- ant, over-size, elastic. Thousands of cable cords as strong as bow-strings, floated in new live rubber, layer on layer. It gives and takes as it rolls on the rough of the toad—it neutralizes shocks—you ride with bird-like ease. No “Second Bests” Miller Cords, like Miller Fabric Tires, are Uniform in mileage—tire after tire. That is be- cause of our system of Uniform workmanship— because all Miller builders are trained to a cham- pionship standard. Each builder is rated on every tire he makes. Itever one comes back, his standing is penalized. Thus have we rid our tires of variable work- manship. And thus have we ended variables in nileage. The result is that every Miller is a long- distance runner—not only a few, such as some call their “lucky” ones. Our Uniform System admits no “second bests.” Geared-to-the-Road Uniform Millers are the only tires Geared- to-the-Road. This tread of many caterpillar feet engages the ground like cogs—the scientific way. That means positive traction, full power ahead and safety. Put a pair of these tires on opposite wheels of yourcar. That test has proved their Uniform Mileage to thousands. Go to the authorized Miller dealer, or write us for his name. THE MILLER RUBBER COMPANY, Akron, Ohio Makers of Miller Surgeons’ Grade Rubber Goods—For Homes as well as Hospitals Miller | GEARED-TO-THE ROAD UNIFORM MILEAGE NE res To Dealers: Write for attractive agency proposition in open territories (225) “I Am Penalized If E One-Comes Back” comicbooks.com