What a difference a 100 years makes

[Wino]

THE YEAR 1909 in the United States of America

One hundred years ago.

What a difference a century makes! Here are some statistics for the Year 1909 :

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The average life expectancy was 47 years.

Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.

Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.

There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved roads.

The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower

The average wage in 1909 was 22 cents 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,

-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 four cents a pound.

Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.

Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.

Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo..

Five leading causes of death were:

1. Pneumonia and influenza

2. Tuberculosis

3. Diarrhea

4. Heart disease

5. Stroke

The American flag had 45 stars.

The population of Las Vegas , Nevada 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 10 adults couldn't read or write.

Only 6 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."

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.!

[Thaimo]

Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write.

There are times when I think that part is still the same.

[WannaGo]

Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.

Give this one another 10 years, and we'll be back there. As it is, 20 percent of homes have dropped landlines in favor of cell phones.

Most women only washed their hair once a month...

Isn't that called "emo" now?

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."

Sigh...the good old days.

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

I have a hard time believing this number. Do you know what the source is for this one?

The Department of Justice puts the U.S. homicide rate at 4.2 per 100,000 in 1909. The U.S. population was about 90,000,000. So, that would be at least 3,700 homicides.

Interestingly enough, after a couple of spikes in the 80s and 90s, the current homicide rate is back down to 1960s levels at 5.2 per 100,000. Of course, the spooky thing is that only 6 out 10 murders are cleared by arrest.

[Wino]

I have a hard time believing this number. Do you know what the source is for this one?

The Department of Justice puts the U.S. homicide rate at 4.2 per 100,000 in 1909. The U.S. population was about 90,000,000. So, that would be at least 3,700 homicides.

Interestingly enough, after a couple of spikes in the 80s and 90s, the current homicide rate is back down to 1960s levels at 5.2 per 100,000. Of course, the spooky thing is that only 6 out 10 murders are cleared by arrest.

Not sure where these facts came from. A friend emailed me these stats and I thought they were interesting. Could be similiar to some of the facts you hear on the Fox network.

[lvdkeyes]

Yes, I remember walking 3 miles to school everyday.

[Bob]

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

Ah, the good old days. Good ol' Detroit (here in my state) has a population slightly over 800,000 and kills more than that every year! And, compared to parts of Washington, DC, Detroit is safe!

[Beer Chang]

First flight was in 1903 and yet by 1969 we put a man on the moon.

[Wino]

Yes, I remember walking 3 miles to school everyday.

Ahh yes, the good old days. Walking to school, up hill both ways, in the ice, snow, wind, and cold.

[lvdkeyes]

"Yes, I remember it well."

[Thaimo]

What is most difficult for me to believe is in 1909 my father was already 2 years old. He remembered things such as lamplighters who came around in the evening to light the gas street lights and then again in the morning to turn them off. He remembered going to nickelodeons. He was 20 years old when the first movie with sound came out. He remembered his grandmother sending him to the local speakeasy almost daily to bring home a bucket of beer. He said he was at an awkward age because he was too young to fight in World War I and too old to fight in World War II.

His father used to talk about the 1910 coming of Halley's Comet. He said it lasted two weeks and was so bright that you read by the light at night and it was also visible even during the day.

[lvdkeyes]

I often would ask my grandmother to tell me about the "good old days". She was born in 1885, we think. She would always give me the same answer, "Honey, these are the "good old days. Remember that". Good advice, but unfortunately, I never did hear the stories I wanted to hear.

[Thaifan]

The grass is always greener on the other side!! We can all look back and regret certain changes but generally the future looks brighter especially for me since i decided to make Thailand my home!!!

[Bob]

Ah, the "good old days." We do have selective memories.

My dad, when he was alive, would rarely talk about the difficult life on the farm back in the teens and twenties; but, whenever he did, he always ended the story with the same comment: "You know, I don't miss it a damn bit!"

[Wino]

I often would ask my grandmother to tell me about the "good old days". She was born in 1885, we think. She would always give me the same answer, "Honey, these are the "good old days. Remember that". Good advice, but unfortunately, I never did hear the stories I wanted to hear.

Your grandma was a wise woman, these are the good old days. Live life to the fullest.