100 Years: What a difference (Vanity)

Email | 11/26/2002 | Me

[justshutupandtakeit]

Gee, and around here we have a chorus singing the praises of the "good ole days." When men were men and horses horses.

[PUGACHEV]

When I read statistics on life expectances I always wonder how higher infant motality rates in the past might bring down the average. To say that the life expectancy was 47 years in 1902 might not be really that meaningful if you had survived you childhood. In fact, if we assume that the weaker children died early -- for lack of modern care -- maybe those that survived were really tough and more likely to live longer than an individual in our own times.

[Fiddlstix]

This means 9 out of ten, 90% were literate! Great list, but that fact was a little obscure. What % were home-educated?

Yes. That is correct, in a sense
Times were much different back then. The word Literate also had a much different meaning. My Grandmother had a 6th grade "education". My Grandfather (her husband) had an 8th grade education. (Those Grandparents were on my Mothers side of the family)
Neither of them were considered "Literate" by the standards of those days. Yet, (And I do remember very well) they were both very "well read" people.
By todays standards, they might well be college professors.

Now, as far as my own parents were concerned......
My Mom & Dad both "graduated" high school at the 10th grade level.
I remember my Mom talking about how, only 2 years after she graduated high school that it became 11 years till matriculation and then just a little over 1 year later it became the 12 years which we still have even until this day

The word "Literate" back then did really mean a "man of letters". Almost everyone could "read & write". (It was all they had..... there was no "Radio, Movies, TV, computers, etc.)
But
Being "Literate" back then meant "Not having to go to a Dictionary" to "look up" a word.

It was a different time & place.

My Grandfather on my fathers side had only a 4th grade education and yet read much. It is remembered that he would read several publications and then go down to the old "barber shop" and "quote word for word" what he had read and then engage the others in discussion.
(He was in his '80's at the time)

God Bless

[Johnny Shear]

The average life expectancy in the US was forty-seven (47).

OK...I read something about this that made a lot of sense...

Child deaths were crazy high back then. Children dying at birth and shortly thereafter skewed the average age down by a LOT! Once a person made it past 4 (Or something like that), the average age was around 65...

So basically, it's not that we're keep ourselves alive that much longer, we've just figured-out how to keep our babies alive in the first place.

I had never thought of that...It gave the subject a lot of Prospective.

[Johnny Shear]

The five leading causes of death in the US were:

1. Pneumonia and influenza

2. Tuberculosis

3. Diarrhea

4. Heart disease

5. Stroke

I'm sorry...That's just NOT right!!

[Fiddlstix]

Indeed, America has gone from being a wealthy nation in 1902 to having even our very poor be insanely wealthy compared to most of the world.

Indeed, you make a very good point
I, myself, had my first "real job" back in 1958. I was paid $0.25 per hour (and Glad to get it)

I paid $0.10 for Gasoline. I could go to the "old A&W drive in" and eat & drink (soft drinks) all I wanted to for $0.15 to $0.40 (depending if I wanted to be a Real "Big Spender)

Times have surely changed
(Within my short time span on this old earth)

[Fiddlstix]

I love hearing my mother-in-law telling about a covered wagon leaving town (in Missouri) and only getting 5 miles before stopping for the nite..........on the way West...!

A lot of truth in that.....
To "make" 15 miles a day was "High Speed" back in those times

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Diarrhea was mostly the cause of death of children who drank bacteria laden water. It is still a leading cause of death around the world today, and why Clean Water efforts are one of the most important health issues that can be supported today. In fact, wasn't it Jesse Helms and Bono who went to Afrcia together to study the effectiveness of Clean Water projects in various nations?

I believe Dean Kamen's new invention, the modified Stirling engine that will produce purified water as a by product, will be a God-send to Millions of people in the third world.

[Fiddlstix]

When I read statistics on life expectances I always wonder how higher infant motality rates in the past might bring down the average.

Also a Very Good Point
Back in thise days, almost anyone who "made it" beyond their 12-13 birthday had a reasonably good chance to survive 'till 70-80 years of age.
It was the very high infant mortality rate that made the averages stay low
You must remember, we are talking about a whole 'nother period of history
nothing like we now know it

[ofMagog]

A+Bert was a mere pup then...

[RLK]

Sometime in the late 1910’s or early 1920’s they had some sort of influenza outbreak that killed 17 of the 22 people that lived on their little spread.

----------------------

That was the famous 1918 flu epidemic that killed hundreds of thousands or millions.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Exactly! =)

I'm a real young pup, 32, but I'm very aware of our "Real Living Costs" and how they compare. When someone get nostalgic and says "Gas was only 10 cents a gallon back then!" I remind them that they only got 30 cents an hour pay back then, too.

Look at your example. Let's increase your pay to $8.00 an hour, not a bad wage for someone starting off today in a reasonable market. Now let's increase your gas by the same ratio. $3.20 a gallon. Hmmm. Ok, now a fast food joint after work. $4.80 on the low end, $12.80 as a big spender. That's a little high for a extra-value meal from a fast food place, and about right for a sit down meal at a "neighborhood" type joint (Applebys, Fridays, etc) on the high end. Not somewhere you would eat at a lot on $8.00 an hour, but a nice date place.

Indeed, the good old days had a lot to look back on with wistful thoughts of what was, but we are living in a pretty blessed society today if we think about it.

[Fiddlstix]

What are the sources for the facts presented here?

None other than an Email which I received and Posted here as entertainment.
I should like to say this......
While I, myself, might question one or two statements in said Email......
From personal experience (As an older person), I can say most of these statements are reasonably correct

[RLK]

3. Diarrhea 4. Heart disease 5. Stroke I'm sorry...That's just NOT right!!

-------------------------------

It's probably right Diarrhea is caused by a large number of diseases that weren't understood or named as yet.

[Fiddlstix]

3. Diarrhea

I'm sorry...That's just NOT right!!

I'm Sorry Too!
Your youth and inexperience are showing, Johnny
(Put a "sock" in it)
Why the person who sent me this Email chose to use the word Diarrhea, I don't know
I do know this.........
Back when I was a kid we didn't even use that term. We called it, "having the scrowers" or "south texas dysentary"

There are many things that can cause Diarrhea such as Typhoid and others
Don't try to tell me that Nobody can "Die" from "losing too much body fluids....Not 'till you;ve seen it, baby boy!
(And please refrain from using BOLD type)
(I don't like to be Hollered at)
Thank You

[Paleo Conservative]

Canada passed a law prohibiting poor people from entering the country for any reason.

They ought to reinstate that law.

[Fiddlstix]

Once again you make a very good observation
(My Granny used to say,"The "Good old days are Now!)
I am not "longing for the good old days"
(even if I did, it would be stupid of me)
I simply posted this Email as entertainment and to wish everyone
A
Happy Thanksgiving
God Bless

[Johnny Shear]

Easy there Alice...

My comment, as I am sure is understood by anyone else reading it, meant...

"Dying of Diarrhea must be horrible...Dying that way is just NOT right!"

SO RELAX!!!.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for posting a message that I hope has a lot of people thinking about the changes we have seen these last hundred years.

[Moonman62]

In terms of "Real Living Costs" when it comes to food, we have it much, much better than we did a hundred years ago. Most of the world, including the wealthy nations of Europe, have it about the same as the turn of the century.

If it weren't for government subsidies, the relative cost for food would be even less.