09/05/2007

A Century of Progress

Variations of the following have been circulating via the Internet. These tidbits certainly give one pause to think about how rapidly things have progressed.

The year is 1907...one hundred years ago. What a difference a century makes! Here are some facts and statistics for the Year 1907:

The average life expectancy was 47 years.
Sixty percent of Americans lived on farms or in small towns.
Only 14 percent of homes had a bathtub.
Only eight percent of homes had a telephone.
Railroads were the dominant form of land travel.
Total automobile production was 43,000. Ford's Model T was still a year in the future.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph. Rural areas allowed a whopping 20 mph.
The first motorized taxicabs appeared in New York City during May.
It had been four years since the Wright brothers' first flight. It was widely held that airplanes had no commercial or military future.
The tallest man made structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower.
The average wage was 22 cents per hour.
The average worker earned between $200 and $400 per year. A competent accountant could expect to earn $2,000 per year, a dentist earned $2,500 per year, a veterinarian earned between $1,500 and $4,000 per year and a mechanical engineer earned about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births took place at home.
About 90 percent of all doctors did not have a college education and instead attended so-called "medical schools." Many of these schools were condemned in the press and by the government as "substandard."
Five leading causes of death were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke
Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were available over the counter at local corner drugstores. According to pharmacists, "Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels and is in fact a perfect guardian of health." Sugar cost four cents a pound.
Eggs were 14 cents a dozen.
Coffee was 15 cents a pound.
A subscription to Good Housekeeping magazine cost one dollar per year.
A first class postage stamp cost 2 cents.
Most women only washed their hair once a month and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.
The American flag had 45 stars. Oklahoma joined the Union that year as the 46th state.
The population of Las Vegas, NV was 30.
The electric washing machine, crossword puzzle, brassiere, cigarette lighter, zipper, band aid, canned beer and ice tea had not been invented.
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
Two out of every 10 adults could not read or write.
Only six percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
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.

Finally, think about this...we are now able to forward this message from someone else without typing it ourselves and send it to others via the Internet all over the United States, Canada...and possibly the world...in a matter of seconds! Imagine what things may be like in another 100 years. It staggers the mind.