|
The
year is 1906.
One hundred years ago. What a
difference a century makes!
Here
are some of the U.S. Statistics for the Year 1906:
·
The
average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years.
·
Only 14
percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.
·
Only 8
percent of the homes had a telephone.
·
A
three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost
eleven dollars.
·
There
were only 8,000 cars in the U.S., and only 144 miles of
paved roads.
·
The
maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
·
Alabama,
Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily
populated than California.
·
With a
mere 1.4 million people, California was only the 21st
most populous state in the Union.
·
The
tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!
·
The
average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents per hour.
·
The
average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year.
·
A
competent accountant could expect to earn $2,000 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 in the U.S. took place at home.
·
Ninety
percent of all U.S. 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 in the U.S. were:
1. Pneumonia and
influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke
·
The
American flag had 45 stars.
·
Arizona,
Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska hadn't been
admitted to the Union yet.
·
The
population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!
·
Crossword
puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea had not been invented
yet.
·
There was
no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
·
Two out
of every 10 U.S. adults could not 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 the pharmacist 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 in the U.S. had at least one
full-time servant or domestic help.
·
There
were about 230 reported murders in the entire U.S.
So, to think I forwarded this from
someone else without typing it myself, and sent it to
you in a matter of seconds! Try to imagine what it
may be like in another 100 years.
It's staggering!
Back
to Readings for Comprehension
Contact Us |
Donate |