100 years ago

One of Lenny's favorite things to ponder is "what was it like 100 years ago"? He is always asking that about all kinds of places, things and people even. We can be at Disneyland and he will say, "100 years ago this was all orange fields." or in France, "What was it like to walk the streets of Paris?" Even in our own neighborhood he might contemplate what the now-major streets were like when they were just dirt or even a field.

Most of the times I just (forgive me) roll my eyes and tune it out. Sorry to disappoint you that I am not the perfect wife.

BUT today is a different day. I was perusing our city's little local newspaper and much to my surprise, I found a piece entitled "The Year 1908." I immediately ripped it out and thought to post it. Very interesting and kind of comical. Here it is:

The Year 1908

What a difference a century makes! Here are some statistics for the year 1908:

• The average life expectancy was 47 years.
• Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.
• Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
• There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved road.
• The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 miles per hour.
• The tallest structure was the Eiffel Tower.
• The average wage was 22 cents per hour.
• The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year.
• More than 95 percent of all births took place at home.
• 90 percent of all doctors had no college education.
• Eggs were 14 cents a dozen.
• Coffee was 15 cents a pound.
• Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used
• Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
• Two out of every ten adults couldn't read or write.
• Five leading causes of death were: Pneumonia and Influenza, TB, Diarrhea, Heart Disease and Stroke.
• The American flag had 45 stars.
• Crossword puzzles, canned beer and iced tea had not yet been invented.
• Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
• Eighteen percent of all households had at least one fulltime servant or domestic help.
• There were about 230 reported murders in the entire U.S.A.