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 road.
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 building in the world was the Eiffel Tower.
The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents an hour!! !
The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year. A competent accountant could expect to earn $2,000 per year, a dentist $2,500, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95% of all births in the U.S. took place at home.
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.”
Sugar cost 4 cents a pound. Eggs were 14 cents a dozen. Coffee cost 15 cents a 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 U.S. were
Pneumonia and influenza
Tuberculosis
Diarrhea
Heart disease
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 ice tea hadn’t been invented.
There was no Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.
One in ten U.S. adults couldn’t read or write. Only 6% of all Americans had graduated from high school.
Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at 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.”
Eighteen percent of households in the U.S. had a least one full-time servant or domestic.
There were only about 230 reported murders in the entire U.S.
GOOD OLD DAYS?
I find these figures interesting and at times humorous. At 97 years, I have lived through all but three of this 100 year span. Many of the things mentioned are still fresh in my mind. The idea of women using egg yolk as shampoo rather stumps me. I don’t recall seeing my three sisters doing that, but if they did I can Praise God for a poor memory.
I can vouch for the fact that few people had bath tubs—neither we nor any of our neighbors had one. We took turns using a galvanized wash tub and we heated our bath water in a copper wash boiler on top of an old wood burning stove. My mother boasted of running water — she simply ran down to the spring and carried it in two large water-pails. Later we got it from the garden pump, but we still had to “run” for it --- so it was running water.
I don’t feel sorry for those who lived before the canned-beer era, nor do I regret the fact marijuana and heroin are no longer sold at the corner drugstore. It would be hard to convince, even those who use drugs, that they are “a perfect guardian of health.”
According to the above figures, a man could expect to die at 47. People die at all ages, but “yours truly” is more than double that age, now at 97. When people ask why I have lived so long and still do my share of work, I simply tell them the Lord has been good to me. Together with that fact is something else to consider --- a lot of people are praying for me. Thank you for your prayers!
This year I raised the finest tomatoes ever, a few are still on the vines. Not only that, complete strangers stopped to express appreciation for our beautiful flowers! I’m not boasting. I am giving praise to “Him that strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). I find physical exercise helps keep me in trim.
We Live In A Changing World
There is bound to be change in a 100-year span. The past century has probably seen more change than any previous century in the history. The future promises even greater change. That is why the Bible constantly urges us to get ready and be prepared for whatever is ahead. In Amos 4:12 we read: “prepare to meet thy God!”
The most glorious change experienced during the entire 97 years of my life, came when I, as a young man, accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and made Him Lord of my life. This is the one decision I will continue to cherish through time and all eternity!