A little 100 year old trivia

My sister sent me this email tonight. It's pretty interesting to see what a difference 100 years makes.

Some of the US statistics from 1907...

* The average life expectancy was 47 years.
* Five leading causes of death were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke

* Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write.
* Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.

* The average wage in 1907 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 made $2,500 per year,
* A veterinarian made $1,500 per year
* A mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.

* Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.
* Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
* Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.

* 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 the government as "substandard. "

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

* There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved roads.
* The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.

* The American flag only had 45 stars.
* The population of Las Vegas , Nevada, was only 30!
* There were about 230 reported murders in the entire USA.

* Sugar cost four cents a pound.
* Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
* Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.

* The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!
* Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn't been invented yet.
* There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.

* Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.

* 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."

* Correspondence was done through snail mail, and now correspondence can be received from you all over the world in a matter of seconds!

Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years. It's pretty mind staggering, isn't it?

Olivia