I am certain every one of you readers are sick and tired of this old geezer telling you about how the dollar has fallen and how much even a penny bought a hundred years ago. Well, Bob P. a long time friend and client, has sent me some stats on 1910, and maybe you will find them either shocking or amusing, when compared to today’s absurd dollar.
1910
In 1910, the average life expectancy for a man was 47 years.
In 1910, 14% of homes had a bathtub, and 8% had a telephone.
In 1910, there were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved roads.
In 1910, the maximum speed in most cities was 10 miles per hour.
In 1910, the tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower in Paris
Now here’s what dollar and cents bought in 1910. Compare it to today’s dollar, and realize how foolish it is to save in such an absurd piece of paper!
In 1910 the average wage in America was 22 cents an hour.
In 1910, the average worker made between $200 and $400 per year.
A competent accountant could expect to make $2,000 a year, and a veterinarian, between $1500 and $4,000 a year.
More than 95% of all births took place at home.
Ninety percent of all doctors had no college education. Instead, they attended so-called “medical schools.”
In 1910, sugar cost four cents a pound.
In 1910, eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
In 1910, coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
Other interesting statistics for 1910, are:
Most women washed their hair only once a month, and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
The five leading causes of death in 1910, were: (1) Pneumonia and influenza, (2) Tuberculosis. (3) Diarrhea, (4) Heart disease, and (5) Stroke.
In 1910 the American Flag had 45 stars.
In 1910, the population of Las Vegas, Nevada was 301.
In 1910, crossword puzzles, canned beer, or iced tea hadn’t been invented yet.
In 1910, there was no Mothers Day or Father’s Day.
In 1910, two out of every ten adults couldn’t read or write, and only 6% of Americans had graduated from high school.
In 1910, Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were sold over the counter at drug stores, and pharmacists said that heroin cleared the complexion, gave buoyancy to the mind, regulated the stomach and bowels, and was in fact, the perfect guardian of health.
In 1910, eighteen percent of households had at least one full time servant or domestic help.
In 1910, there were about 230 reported murders in the entire U.S.
And oh yes, gold was $20.67 an ounce, and silver $1.10 an ounce.
Makes you think, doesn’t it? Happy Father’s Day to all you Dads.