ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO

What a difference a century makes! Here are some statistics for the United States in 1902: (this article is a couple of years old – but the thought is the same. – cc)

• The average life expectancy was forty-seven.

• Only 14% of homes had a bathtub.

• Only 8% of the homes had a telephone. A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost $11.

• There were only 8,000 cars and 144 miles of paved roads. The maximum speed in most cities was 10 mph.

• Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California. With a mere 1.4 million residents, California was only the 21st most populous state in the union.

• The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower.

• The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents an hour.

• The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year.

• A competent accountant could expect to earn $2,000 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 took place at home.

• 90% of all U.S. physicians had no college education. Instead, they attended medical schools, many of which were condemned by the government as substandard.

• Sugar cost $.04 a pound; eggs, $.14 a dozen; coffee, $.15 a pound.

• Most women washed their hair once a month; used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.

• The 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. Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska had not been admitted to the Union yet.

• The population of Las Vegas, Nevada was 30.

• Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea had not been invented.

• There was no special holiday for Mother's Day or Father's Day.

• One in ten adults could not read or write. Only six percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.

• There were only about 230 reported murders in the entire U.S.

Then again, some things haven't changed in the last one hundred years. God was Ruler of the Universe; Christ was man's Savior; the Gospel was God's power to save; the church was made up of the saved; heaven was wonderful; hell was horrible...

"For I am the LORD, I change not..." (Malachi 3:6) "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8).

Fellowship Tonight
All members and visitors to our services are invited to meet with us after the evening worship for a period of food and fellowship in the annex. We will be honoring the birthdays and anniversaries for the month of May.

June Calendar
The June edition of the Orange Street Activities Calendar & Men to Serve List is available today in the foyer. Be sure to pick-up a copy and be informed of the scheduled duties and activities.

Starts Wednesday
The 2004 Wednesday Night Summer Series of guest speakers begins this coming Wednesday evening (June 2). There will be no classes for the Teens or Adults who will instead meet in the auditorium. Classes for the younger children will still be conducted as usual. The speaker this week is scheduled to be John Griffis from the North Jackson Ave. congregation in Bartow. Be sure to be here.

Don't marry a man to reform him. The "rites" never right him, and the "alter" won't alter him....even is you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there! Marry a man because you love him and then only if that love is returned.

Make your plans now for our Gospel Meeting scheduled for September 19 -22, 2004 (Sunday-Wednesday) with speaker Jimmy Clark of Athens, Alabama.