Fun facts from 1908 when the Cubs won last

[JSR III]

This was sent to me so I thought that I would share it. This will give some perspective to all who marvel at S&W's selling in the early 1900's for $20 and thinking just how many YOU would have bought at such a cheap price........

The last time the Cubs won the World Series.............



THE YEAR 1908

The average life expectancy was 47 years.

Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.

Only 8 percent of the 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 1908 was 22 cents per hour.

The average 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 percent of all births took place at HOME .

Ninety percent of all doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!

Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard. '

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 yolks for shampoo.

Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.

Five leading causes of death 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 adults couldn't read or write. Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.

Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. 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'

Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.

There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE ! U.S.A. !


So based on .22/hour, that $20 S&W would take about 90 hours of work to purchase. Based on today's average wage of $21.70 per hour, that works out to $1,953.

So a .22/32 that sold in 1911 for $20 is actually a real bargain today at $800.

[Onomea]

And 1908 was 11 years before the Blacksox Scandal — "Say it ain't so, Joe!" — of the 1919 Series.

[Rustyt1953]

Ah...the good old days.

[Bro. Dave]

A small statistical aside is that "average life expectancy" makes it sound like there were no old people back then. The rise in life expectancy has been primarily caused by the decrease in infant mortality.

Remember how much a couple of zeros in school assignments would lower your average grade?

If you ever walk through an older part of a rural cemetery, you will be touched at the large number of children who were taken at an early age. There was a significant bump during the flu epidemic around 1917-19.

[DWalt]

"Ninety percent of all doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!
Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard. "

And dentists also. Back then, if you wanted to become a doctor or dentist, most went directly to a two year sort-of trade school. When I was growing up, both our family doctor and dentist had gone to such medical and dental trade schools. Even many lawyers never attended college, as at one time many became lawyers by working as apprentices to established lawyers (called reading Law) until they learned enough to pass the bar exam.

[V-35]

In 1908 Ford announced the introduction of their New Model T Automobile!

Art

[shouldazagged]

I've been privileged to see the demise of two legendary baseball "curses": the "Curse of the Bambino" that was tied to the Red Sox like a mythical anchor, and "the Billy Goat Curse" that was said to have plagued the Cubs starting in 1945.

But 108 years of self-inflicted foot wounds? That was a curse!

[DWalt]

Originally Posted by V-35

In 1908 Ford announced the introduction of their New Model T Automobile!

Art

And the German Army adopted the P 08 Luger.

"There was a significant bump during the flu epidemic around 1917-19."
My father lost two younger siblings during the flu epidemic. It hit the old and the very young harder.
The average life expectancy for white males at birth at that time was 50. It is now about 76-77.

[CustomChevyGuy]

Heard something similar to this on a local radio channel the day after

Things that didn’t exist the last time the Cubs won the World Series

The Boy Scouts of America
The Cleveland Indians
Nylon
FM Radio
Sliced bread
Canned beer
The zipper
The assembly line
The convertible car
Traffic signals
Band-aids
A divided Korea
Wrigley Field

[G.T. Smith]

Colt made the vest pocket .25 which is one of my mostest favoristed pistols that I have. 1922 mdel pictured.
Peace,
gordon

[crazyphil]

My old Dad was born in 1908 and Hell, I'm 81. Best comment I heard
someone say: "Anybody can have a bad century"