1903.....interesting

[John Prophet]

I got this from a friend....I dont know for sure about the historical exactness but its probably close


---------------

"THE YEAR 1903"


Where we were a century ago.

The year is 1903, one hundred years ago... what a difference a century makes.. Here are the U. S. statistics for 1903....



The average life expectancy in the US was 47.

Only 14% of the homes in the US had a BATHTUB.



Only 8% of the homes had a TELEPHONE.

A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost $11.



There were only 8,000 CARS in the US 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 residents, 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 US was $0.22/hour.

The average US worker made between $200-$400/year.



A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000/year, a dentist $2,500/year, a veterinarian between $1,500-$4,000/year, and a mechanical
engineer about $5,000/year.

More than 95% of all BIRTHS in the US took place at HOME.



90% of all US physicians had NO COLLEGE education. Instead, they attended medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and by the government as "substandard."

Sugar cost $0.04/pound. Eggs were $0.14/dozen.
Coffee cost $0.15/pound.



Most women only washed their HAIR once a month and used BORAX or EGG YOLKS for shampoo.

Canada passed a law prohibiting POOR people from entering the country for any reason.



The five leading causes of death in the US were:
1. Pneumonia &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 30.

Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn't been invented.



There were no Mother's Day or Father's Day.


One in ten US adults couldn't read or write.


Only 6% of all Americans had graduated from HIGH SCHOOL.


Coca Cola contained cocaine.


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."

18% of households in the US had at least one full-time SERVANT or
domestic.



There were only about 230 reported MURDERS in the entire US.


Just think what it will be like in another 100 years.


It boggles the mind !

---------------------------------------------

I sort of wonder about there being even 8000 cars because I was under th eimpression that the car was invented around 1900..and th eplane right about the same time and it would take time for them to "spread"

[RADAR1797]

JP,

The first gasoline auto was invented in 1885. Here is a little history on the subject.

-RADAR

[Epidemic]

Ford invented a process for producing cheap automobiles.

Prior to that they were expensive un-reproducable one of a kind hand made toys for the rich.

[The Real Bingo]

Originally posted by Epidemic
Ford invented a process for producing cheap automobiles.

Yes, it was called the "assembly line".

[Epidemic]

Hmmm did he invent the assembly line or just refine an existing process.

It was more than just an assembly line. It was a innovative use of the assembly line and its subsequent refinement.

[ShawnD1]

Originally posted by John Prophet
Canada passed a law prohibiting POOR people from entering the country for any reason.

How could they enforce that? Wasn't pretty much everybody poor in those days?

[Epidemic]

I think poor in those days meant no good rabble who had no means of supporting themselves.

Sick lame and lazy is easy to spot.

[M_Six]

From http://www.ideafinder.com/history/in...s/story054.htm

The first automobile to be produced in quantity was the 1901 Curved Dash Oldsmobile, which was built in the United States by Ransom E. Olds. Modern automobile mass production, and its use of the modern industrial assembly line, is credited to Henry Ford of Detroit, Michigan, who had built his first gasoline-powered car in 1896. Ford began producing his Model T in 1908, and by 1927, when it was discontinued, over 18 million had rolled off the assembly line.

So in 1903 there were 8,000 cars, and 24 years later there were over 18 million. No that's a paradigm change.