> > >> JUST A HUNDRED YEARS AGO....... > > >> > > >> The year is 1902, one hundred years ago ... what a difference a > century > > >> makes! Here are the U.S. statistics for 1902: > > >> > > >> 1. The average life expectancy in the U.S. was forty-seven (47). > > >> > > >> 2. Only 14 Percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub. > > >> > > >> 3. Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone. A three-minute call > from > > >> Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars. > > >> > > >> 4. There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S. and only 144 miles of > paved > > >> roads. > > >> > > >> 5. The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph. > > >> > > >> 6. Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily > > > >> populated than California. With a mere 1.4 million residents, > California > > >> was > > >> only the 21st most populous state in the Union. > > >> > > >> 7. The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower. > > >> > > >> 8. The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents an hour. > > >> > > >> 9. The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year. > > >> > > >> 10. 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. > > >> > > >> 11. More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at > home. > > >> > > >> 12. Ninety percent of all U.S. physicians had no college education. > > > >> Instead, > > >> they attended medical schools, many of which were condemned in the > press > > >> and > > >> by the government as "substandard." > > >> > > >> 13. Sugar cost four cents a pound. Eggs were fourteen cents a > dozen. > > >> Coffee > > >> cost fifteen cents a pound. > > >> > > >> 14. Most women only washed their hair once a month and used borax > or egg > > >> yolks for shampoo. > > >> > > >> 15. Canada passed a law prohibiting poor people from entering the > country > > >> for any reason. > > >> > > >> 16. The five leading causes of death in the U.S. were: > > >> 1. Pneumonia and influenza > > >> 2. Tuberculosis > > >> 3. Diarrhea > > >> 4. Heart disease > > >> 5. Stroke > > >> > > >> 17. The American flag had 45 stars. Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, > Hawaii > > >> and Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet. > > >> > > >> 18. The population of Las Vegas, Nevada was 30. > > >> > > >> 19. Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn't been > invented. > > >> > > >> 20. There were no Mother's Day or Father's Day. > > >> > > >> 21. One in ten U.S. adults couldn't read or write. Only 6 percent > of all > > >> Americans had graduated from high school. > > >> > > >> 22. Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the > counter at > > >> > > >> corner drugstores. According to one pharmacist, "Heroin clears the > > >> complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and > the > > >> bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health." > > >> > > >> 23. Eighteen percent of households in the U.S. had at least one > full-time > > >> servant or domestic. > > >> > > >> 24. There were only about 230 reported murders in the entire U.S. > > >> > > >> As they say, "We've come a long way, Baby!" > > >> > > >> Interesting!!