Some 1906 Statistics

SOME 1906 STATISTICS

• The average life expectancy was 47 years.
• Two out of every 10 adults couldn’t read or write.
• Only 6 percent of all Americans graduated from high school.
• Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.
• More than 95 percent of all births took place at home.
• The five leading causes of death were: 1. Pneumonia and influenza 
2. Tuberculosis 
3. Diarrhea 
4. Heart disease 
5. Stroke
• Ninety percent of all doctors had no college education. They attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and by the government as “substandard.”
• Marijuana, heroin and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstore. Back then pharmacists said, “Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health.”
• Only 14 percent of homes had a bathtub.
• Only 8 percent of homes had a telephone.
• There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved roads.
• The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
• The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower.
• The average wage in was 22 cents per hour.
• The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year.
• A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 a year, a dentist $2,500 a year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 a year, a mechanical engineer about $5,000 a year.
• Sugar cost four cents a pound.
• Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
• Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
• Most women washed their hair once a month—and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
• Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering their country for any reason.
• The American flag had 45 stars.
• The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was 30.
• There were about 230 reported murders in the entire United States of America

Source: unkn