-
The average life
expectancy was 47 years.
-
Only 14% of the
homes had a bathtub.
-
Only 8% 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, and a
mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
-
More than 95% of
all births took place at home.
-
90% 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.
-
Canada passed a
law that prohibited poor people from entering
into their country for any reason.
-
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 iced 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% 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".
-
18% of households
had at least one full-time servant or domestic
help.
-
There were about
230 reported murders in the ENTIRE USA.
Can you even imagine what it may be like in
another 100 years?
