Life in 1909

(Thanks to Chris for sending this.)

This is what life in the USA was like in 1909, "the good old days." What a difference a century makes!

The average life expectancy was 47 years.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
The American flag had 45 stars.
The population of Las Vegas , Nevada was 30!
There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved roads in the USA .
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.

The average wage in 1909 was 22¢ per hour.
The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year. A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year. A dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME .

Ninety percent of all doctors had NO college education! Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and by the government as 'substandard.'

Sugar cost 4¢ a pound. Eggs were 14¢ a dozen. Coffee was 15¢ a pound.

Only 14 % of homes had a bathtub. Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo. (Yuck!)

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

Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea* hadn't been invented. There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day. Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write. Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.

Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all sold over the counter at the local drugstore. Back then, the 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.”

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

There were only 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A. !

Now... I can forward this message from someone else, without typing it myself, and send it to people all over the world in a matter of seconds. Try to imagine what life will be like in 100 years, in 2109. IT
STAGGERS THE MIND!

(*Nor had commercial airlines, telephones, air conditioning, computers, television, microwave ovens, refrigerators, and most vaccines we now take for granted. -- The Coot)