Time Marches On....

In 1909--

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 1909 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 where do we go from here?

Poltergeist?

Okay. So two days ago I prepared to shave but, after lathering up, realized that my Sensor excel razor was not resting across the top of my pewter shaving mug. I couldn't find it on the counter so I took the razor from my travel kit and shaved.

When I couldn't find the damn thing by yesterday I did a major ransack of my bathroom, closets, drawers and cabinets. Julie tsk tsked my absent mindedness and while I was out, she did one of her major - and usually successful - searches and came up with nothing. Since it had no hiding place, hidden or in plain sight, Julie was convinced the razor had somehow left the building. I felt we were in the grip of a mystery beyond earthly explanation; even predicting that no sooner would I buy a replacement Excel, than the original would re-materialize.

Okay. I didn't buy a new razor but I did bring in a spare I keep in my Trooper and used it yesterday. Last night, after brushing my teeth and spending the usual amount of time over my bathroom sink with the shaving mug right beside and no razor across its top, I go to bed. A few hours later, I awaken with my usual nighttime call to nature. As I start to return to bed I clearly see the razor, resting quietly across the top of the pewter mug. Dreams can seem very real so I somewhat doubted the evidence of my eyes. I picked up the razor, felt its solidity, convinced myself I was awake and determined to find it there in the morning.

So this morning it was still there. I picked up the mug and my spare razor and took them down to show Julie. She, also, could not understand how the razor could be exactly where it was supposed to be and where she had not been able to find it when she was looking for it the day before.

This may not qualify for The Twilight Zone, but it's woo-woo-woo-woo, woo-woo-woo enough for me.