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The year 1903

PostPosted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 7:19 am
by Romulus111VADT
In light of the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers first flight...I thought this might be of interest.

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

Re: The year 1903

PostPosted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 8:06 am
by ATI_7500
interesting facts...i especially like the one with marijuana...;D

Re: The year 1903

PostPosted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 8:26 am
by ozzy72
Scary :o :o :o

Re: The year 1903

PostPosted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 8:54 am
by Mr. Bones
they didn't had any aiports either in that year!  :P

Re: The year 1903

PostPosted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 12:27 pm
by BFMF
How did they do it without any internet access ??? :o ;D

Re: The year 1903

PostPosted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 12:30 pm
by Mr. Bones
what about beer, girls and drugs...did they exist in 1903?  ??? if not, i can imagine that people went searching a bit further...euh higher   ;D

Re: The year 1903

PostPosted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 2:33 pm
by WebbPA
Beer has been around for thousands of years.  The ancient Egyptians brewed it.  I'm pretty sure girls have been around for a while, too.

In 1903 there was no (US) income tax, no NFL and Europe was still basking in the peace brought about by the Treaty of Vienna.

Re: The year 1903

PostPosted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 2:54 pm
by Jared
ah..tis was a good year... ;)

Re: The year 1903

PostPosted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 3:09 pm
by FLYING_TRUCKER
:)I like the part about Canada passing a poor law.

It's probably not in effect now, with the past couple of decades we are all POOR ::) ::)

Cheers......Doug

Re: The year 1903

PostPosted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 5:07 pm
by Sock
I can't rap my mind around this one; can someone please explain how Diarrhea kills?

Sock ???

Re: The year 1903

PostPosted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 5:15 pm
by Hagar
I can't rap my mind around this one; can someone please explain how Diarrhea kills?

Sock ???

Probably Typhoid or something of that nature. I believe it's also one of the symptoms of Bubonic Plague. This must be the US spelling which I've never come across before. It's spelled diarrohea in this country. Whichever way you spell it it would be a most unpleasant way to die.

Re: The year 1903

PostPosted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 5:18 pm
by Woodlouse2002
I can't rap my mind around this one; can someone please explain how Diarrhea kills?

Sock ???

Diarrhea doesn't kill you. But it causes dehydration which does. Basically all your fluids run outta your arse and you dry up and keel over. ;)

Re: The year 1903

PostPosted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 6:01 pm
by Sock
oh.....

I thought...Maybe...

Sock :P

Re: The year 1903

PostPosted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 6:38 pm
by Polynomial
I can't rap my mind around this one; can someone please explain how Diarrhea kills?

Sock ???


dihorrea seriously dehydrates you when you get it, hence the reason you have to drink a lot of water.  Maybe they just dehydrated, then caught another condition as a result and died?  I think that'd be the most likely explanation.

Re: The year 1903

PostPosted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 7:05 pm
by Romulus111VADT
I can't rap my mind around this one; can someone please explain how Diarrhea kills?

Sock ???


The description below is a current (2003) diagnosis-

Diarrheal Disease
Diarrheal diseases including cholera, shigellosis and rotavirus kill an estimated 2 million children each year. Children are more vulnerable to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances than adults, and diarrhea may quickly lead to death in the young, particularly among those who have vitamin deficiencies and other infections. Millions of children live in overcrowded communities with no access to safe water and adequate sanitation, making prevention of food- and water-borne diarrheal infections extremely difficult. Breastfeeding is the preferred way to prevent diarrhea in infants, as it avoids exposing the infant to impure water during the early vulnerable months of life. While nearly all fatalities attributed to diarrhea can be averted through the use of an inexpensive solution of glucose and sodium (oral rehydration solution, or ORS), repeat episodes are inevitable in the absence of safe water and improved hygiene practices. Without these, diarrhea will remain a leading global health threat for the world