Life 100 years ago devoid of crosswords, canned beer

So, we have a good start on a New Year. I wondered what it was like in 1907 until a friend, Rear Admiral Ron Reel of the Wharton Navy, sent me some statistics. Here are some of them: Life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years. I have suits older than that. They come back in style about every 40 years.

Only 14 percent of the households had a bathtub. I think many of those were just for making Gin. Only 8 per cent of the homes had a telephone. Now a higher percentage wear them as an ear ring. There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S. None of them were Japanese, Korean, German or had a GPS.

The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph. My wife does that now backing out of the garage. Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa and Tennessee were more heavily populated than California. That was before Oklahoma heard there was a West Coast.

A veterinarian made $1,500 a year and a mechanical engineer $5,000. Then the engineers bought dogs. Canada passed a law that prevented poor people from entering their country for any reason. If that law were enforced today none of my relatives could get in there … still.

The population of Las Vegas, Nev. was only 30. Now there are more people than that living there in a double wide.

Crossword puzzles and canned beer had not yet been invented. I suppose people had to drink from a pitcher without thinking. Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write. A friend of mine says he don't no about thet but it dozen't sound wright.

Marijuana, heroin and morphine were all available over the counter at the local drug stores. Now you can get those curb service from rich guys with pierced navels, fancy tattoos and a jeweled ankle bracelet.

What will it be like 100 years from now? They'll probably be saying bad things about us. Imagine that!

Doc Blakely is a humorist and motivational speaker who resides in Wharton.