101 Years Ago was Good, and Bad

With the recent appearance of a New Year, and the historic inauguration of a new president, many of us have been recalling how much times have changed in our lifetime.

Recently I came across some statistics from the year 1908, just 101years ago. I was fascinated with the changes that have taken place during this time span.

The average life expectancy in that year was 47 years. Wow, just think that many persons today live into their nineties or longer. Only fourteen percent of the homes in 1908 had bathtubs.

Only eight percent of the homes had a telephone.

There were just eight thousand cars with 144 miles of paved roads. The maximum speed limit in most cities was ten miles per hour.

The Eiffel Tower was the tallest structure in the world.

The average wage in 1908 was twenty-two cents per hour. At that rate, most workers made between $200 and $400 dollars per year.

A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year. Some dentists earned $2,500 per year and a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000. A mechanical engineer might earn as much as $5,000 yearly.

Ninety-five percent of all births took place at home, while almost that many doctors had no college education. Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and the government as ‘substandard.’

Sugar cost four cents a pound; while eggs were fourteen cents a dozen. The price of eggs reminded me of my brother and me delivering eggs to our neighbors in the ‘30s for fifteen cents per dozen, or two dozen for twenty-five cents.

The price of coffee was fifteen cents a pound.

Most women only washed their hair once a month. They used borax or egg yolks for shampoo. What a contrast to the teenaged girls who wash their hair every day!

Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering their country for any reason.

The five leading causes of death were: Pneumonia and influenza; tuberculosis; diarrhea; heart disease and stroke.

The American flag only had 45 stars and the population of Las Vegas was only 30.

Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn’t been invented yet. There was no Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.

Two out of every ten adults couldn’t read or write. Only six percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.

Marijuana. heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists said, “Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health.” Shocking!

Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.

There were about 230 reported murders in the entire U.S.A.

Try to imagine what it may be like in another one hundred years. It staggers my mind! How about we all work to make it a better place?

1-21-2009
#419