The Idler, Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Life a century ago A SPLENDID photograph is doing the rounds in cyberspace of a 1910 Ford Model R – a beautiful little vehicle in red and black coachwork that was a next step into the modern automotive age from the famous Model T. Attached is some information about America in 1910: ·         The average life expectancy for men was 47. ·         Fuel for the Ford Model R was sold only in drugstores. ·         Only 14 percent of homes had a bathtub. ·         Only eight percent of homes had a telephone. ·         There were only 8 000 cars in the US and only 144 miles of paved road. ·         The speed limit in most cities was 10 mph. ·         The tallest structure in the world was still the Eiffel Tower. ·         The average US wage was 22 cents an hour. ·         The average US worker made between $200 and $400 a year . ·         A competent accountant could expect to earn $2 000 per year; a dentist $2 500, a veterinarian between $1 500 and $4 000; and a mechanical engineer about $5 000. ·        More than 95 percent of births were at home. ·         Ninety percent of doctors had no college education. Instead they attended medical schools, many of which  were considered substandard. ·         Sugar cost four cents a pound. ·         Eggs were 14 cents a dozen. ·         Coffee was 15 cents a pound. ·         Most women washed their hair only once a month, using egg yolk for shampoo. ·         The American flag had 45 stars. ·         The population of Las Vegas , Nevada, was 30. ·         Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn't been invented. ·         Two out of 10 adults couldn't read or write and only six percent of all Americans had graduated from high school. ·         Marijuana, heroin and morphine were all available over the counter at corner drugstores. ·         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 murders reported in the entire USA. "I am now going to forward this to someone else without typing it myself," says the compiler. "From there, it will be sent to others all over the world - all in a matter of seconds. Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years. It staggers the mind!"

Quantum leaps

YES, WE'VE moved on by quantum leaps since 1910, led by American technology. But why is everything all of a heap right now? Is forward movement always progress? It's instructive to stay in touch with the wisdom of the ancients.

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance."

 

That was Cicero in 55 BC, setting out exactly what Barack Obama, David Cameron and others are today trying to achieve in order to save their societies from ruin – they seek a regression to something approximating 1910 in terms of values and work ethic.

 

The Ford Model R mentioned above was produced by Henry Ford, a manufacturing/financial genius who believed in the present and the future and once notoriously said: "History is bunk!"

 

Oh yeah? As Santayana said: "Those who refuse to learn from history are condemned to repeat it." It's happening.

 

Down memory lane

 

We were just reminiscing about the time when our car got stuck in reverse. The conversation really took us back.

Tailpiece

 

Doctor: "Wow! Those are serious lacerations you've got. How did it happen?"

 

Patient: "You won't believe me. I was sitting watching TV when there was a knock at the door. I answered it and there was this giant stag beetle on the doorstep, six feet tall. He just started laying into me with his claws and mandibles and things. Absolutely terrifying. It was all I could do to close the door on him.

 

Doctor: "Oh, I believe you all right. There's a nasty bug going around."

 

Last word

 

Life is a foreign language; all men mispronounce it.

Christopher Morley