U.S. STATISTICS IN THE YEAR 1905.
The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years.
Only 14% of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.
Only 8% of the homes had a telephone.
A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost 11 Dollars.
There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S., 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 people, California was only the 21st most populous state in the Union.
The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents per hour.
The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year.
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year; A dentist $2,500 per year; 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.
90% of all U.S. doctors had no college education.
Sugar cost four cents a pound; Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen; Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used borax or egg shampoo.
Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.
Five leading causes of death in the U.S. were: (1). Pneumonia and influenza; (2). Tuberculosis; (3). Diarrhea; (4). Heart disease; (5). Stroke.
The American flag had 45 stars.
The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn't been invented yet.
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
Two out of every 10 U.S. adults couldn't read or write.
Only 6% of all Americans had graduated from high school.
There were about 230 reported murders in the entire U.S.
The majority believed in God and they sincerely tried to follow the scriptures.
TRY TO IMAGINE WHAT IT MAY BE LIKE IN ANOTHER 100 YEARS.
My Grandpa would be celebrating his 108th birthday today, if he was still
alive. But leaving us in 1991, he today resides in heaven. Looking back at his
time here on earth, the changes he went through must have been mind bending,
amazing compared to anything we see today. And today we are seeing technology
exploding via electronics, computers, and who knows what else that Apple and its
ilk are about to release. But for my Grandpa, many things changed in his
lifetime, making his parents maybe look back to simpler times, as many of us do
today. So take walk back with me...
In 1905 cars were a novelty for the rich. There was no Model T yet,
General Motors and Chrysler didn’t exist, and Detroit was not Motown yet. The
Harley and Davidson boys were still struggling, Soichiro Honda was just an
infant. The horsepower race meant a faster horse, and Studebaker was the
leading carriage maker. Very few had phones, and even fewer had indoor
plumbing, the lucky having a chamber pot, to empty first thing in the morning.
Consider that one next time your toilet backs up. Electric lighting was only
for big cities, kerosene, or coal oil was still the king in rural areas. No
Safeways or Vons to shop in, many still grew their own veggies, or bought from
wagons selling their fruits and vegetables from them. A farmer would deliver
eggs and butter to you, and the meat man would come buy selling fresh meat,
maybe not government inspected yet. Kids got sick, and many died from diseases
and conditions unheard of today. The day started when the sun came up, and
ended when the sun went down. No Life, Sports Illustrated, or People to read,
and any newspaper was read by candle or kerosene lamps. Teenagers didn’t talk
on the phone yet, they were a luxury, and texting meant reading your Mc Guffy
Reader, the standard for all education. No radio until he was almost 25, movies
still had no sound, TV unheard of yet.
By the time he was a teenager, The Great War, WWI was going on, Ford was
selling Model T’s at a record rate, and people were flocking to cities, the
Industrial Age was upon us, and luxury was close behind. But it would be not
until he was in his twenties, that homes would have refrigerators, the ice man
soon becoming a thing of the past. At age 21, in 1926, he hitchhiked across
America with a friend, before roads, before Route 66, and before Holiday Inn.
Begging meals from housewives, sleeping in jails, and telling of riding on
running boards of touring cars, he made it from Pennsylvania to Tijuana, no
border to cross, and managed to locate the only hotel there. His America was
one of working together, of sharing with others, and of a bright future. He
endured the Great Depression, telling me how he made $15 one month, enough to
pay the light bill, but they got by. He signed up for Social Security in 1937,
the promise of a government pension when he retired at age 65, at the time the
average age expectancy was only 57. Even then, the government was betting
against you living too long. He endured rationing during WWII, and prospered in
the 50’s like many did, as his grandson was born in them. He worked until 65,
retiring on Social Security, and a small pension, not what he had expected,
because the owner of the savings in loan, had embezzled much of it. He had beat
the odds of Social Security, and would live to collect it for 21 years. He
would die in a nursing home, my Grandma too, having bought insurance because
they didn’t want to die in the poor house, as many of their neighbors and
friends had. He died owning a 1970 Pontiac Lemans, he had seen much of the
country, only 46 states when he was born, and had owned two Cadillacs, used, the
sign that he had made it. He had owned his own home, and from humble beginning
went to humble ends. But the things he never saw intrigue me even more.
To him an apple was something you ate to keep the doctor away. He had a
color TV, but only the major networks for selections, no cable yet. No Hulu, or
Netflix. You waited until next week to see the next week’s show, no VCR to tape
it while at work. A big thing was a phone in his basement, so you didn’t have
to go up or down to answer it. He saw the doctors before copays, and he still
called his neighbors Mr. or Mrs. When it got hot, you sat on the porch and
talked with others on theirs, and a big 6 ounce bottle of Coke refreshed you.
People visited, people talked, and people helped each other. When a neighbor
became sick, the church brought them meals. If a job was lost, the church
helped with bills and saw they had clothes and food. Afternoons were spent at
the library, reading, and talking in hushed tones. They took walks after
dinner, not to exercise, but to socialize, and to fill the pre-TV, radio, cable
era. People went to church, and church was a source of family, social
interaction,and worship. And on Sunday mornings the town streets were empty and
quiet, you knew where all your neighbors were. It was more than a building, it
was a hub of activity, a place to meet, and a source of refreshment for the
soul. Today...
A few years back my friend Fr. Al had a vision to help bring back the
churches to inner cities in Western Pennsylvania. So many had fallen on hard
times, and with changing times no one went anymore. With only an older
generation holding fast to those values. His plan was to buy old churches, one
in Johnstown was for sale for $65,000, and covered an entire city block. The
windows were stained glass, and valued at $100,000 alone, but no one had use for
them either. His plan with Farzi, another visionary, was to have all
denominations us it on different days, and nights. Open it for social
activities, and make it place to worship, and to congregate. Sadly he died
before he could see his dream, but Farzi is living it today. A religious man, a
Catholic bishop, he has opened the building to all faiths, to worship regardless
of their denomination. He welcomes them, just like Jesus did, and many have a
place to meet now. Much like the early church did, caring for each other,
worshipping, and seeing their needs met. All because of one man’s vision, and
one savior who provided it.
With so many separating over race, color, and creed, and arguing over
religion, can we learn from Jesus, and unite in the spirit? Church is us, but
we still need a place to meet. So some meet in homes, some during lunch, some
ride, and some rent buildings. But us, the church is growing, and God is still
meeting our needs. Just like He did for my Grandpa, and his Grandpa before
him. And for his grandson, and now great grandsons. With Jesus meeting the
needs, no matter the social or financial status, He provides. If church is a
bad word for you, I encourage you to join with others today, and seek Christ.
Attend a home bible study, meet and pray at lunch, and feed some hungry, visit
widows and orphans. Jesus is just the same today as He was for my Grandpa, and
heaven is still promised to those that believe. Hang up, quit texting, turn off
the TV, and tune into Jesus. He plays 24/7, can be picked up anywhere, and
meets all the needs. Who needs an i-pod when you can have a J-pod, the holy
spirit? Get to know God more, and watch as He fills your time. And next time
you just have to go in the middle of the night, thank Him for indoor plumbing.
And think of your grandparents, and how they made it. Hopefully you can too
despite all the technological help you have working against you. Jesus saved
before televangelists, and streaming videos. It worked for Grandpa, and it
still works today. I wonder what he would think, when I see him I’ll have to
ask. You see he knew Jesus, do you? Is your future heavenly or technologically
enhanced? Only one makes it personal....in the beginning God. And in the end
God, the in between is up to you.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com