Life, 1919-03-27 · page 6 of 44
Life — March 27, 1919 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **product advertisement**, not political satire. The page promotes the "Weed Chain-Jack," a mechanical lifting device manufactured by American Chain Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut. The cartoon illustrates the product's ease of use: a child operates the jack while an adult works on a car wheel, with the caption "Goodness, Daddy! You're Slow—The Car is Already Jacked Up!" The humor targets fathers, suggesting even children can operate this device more efficiently than adults. The ad emphasizes the jack's advantages: no need to crawl under cars or strain in cramped positions. It came in four sizes and cost $2.50–$15.00. The "10 Days' Trial" offer and detailed specifications indicate this is straightforward commercial marketing from the early automobile era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Weed Chain-Jack It’s Child’s Play to Operate It Simply a few easy pulls on its chain lifts or lowers the heaviest car while you stand erect. Up or down—there’s no labor. To operate a Weed Chain-Jack it is not necessary to get down in a cramped, strained position and grovel in mud, grease or dust under a car to work a “handle” that is apt to fly up with unpleasant results. To lift a car with the Weed Chain-Jack, simply give a few easy pulls on its endless chain while you stand erect—clear from springs, tire carriers and other projections. To lower car pull the chain in opposite direction. Never gets out of order. Gears and chain wheel protected by a stamped- steel housing. Chain heavily plated to prevent rusting. Has a strong cap, providing the kind of support from which an axle will not slip, while a broad base prevents the jack from upsetting on uneven roads. Quickly adjusted to any required height by lifting the screw and spinning the corrugated “collar” shown in the illustration, Try it yourself—you will never be satisfied with any other jack. 10 Days’ Trial If your dealer does not have them, send $7.50 for any size for pleasure cars or $15.00 for the Truck size. and we will send you one, all charges prepaid. For delivery in Canada send $8.50 for any size for pleasure cars or $16.00 for the Truck size. Try it 10 days. If not satis- fied return it to us and we will refund your money. MADE IN FOUR SIZES Heisbt Whea| Height Wheo Raised Raised | With Aut. Step Up Binches | 12! inches] 18% inches 1Winches | 15% inches] | 17% inches IZinch | I2inches | 18% inches! No Aux. Step 12in.Truck| 12inches | 19% inches} No Aux. Step The 8 inch and 10 inch sizes are made with an aux- iliary step as illustrated. When in operative position this step adds two inches to the height of the jack. AMERICAN | Sao CHAIN COMPANY in Inc? Bridgeport, Connecticut. In Canada-DOMINION CHAIN CO.,Ltd., Niagara Falls, Ontario. LARGEST CHAIN MANUFACTURERS IN THE WORLD Ccomicbooks.com