1905-2009

We’re told the economy is making a slow but steady recovery and I have to believe it because the price of gas is on the rise. Let it be known the American consumer has an extra dime in his pocket and someone will do their best to get twelve cents from you for something you can’t do without. It seems we’re sort of under that proverbial barrel when it comes to vehicle fuels, electricity, telephone service and several other “necessities” of life simply because we have to accept it from the “only game in town”. Well, we can complain all we want, but let’s be honest here, the greed is on both sides of the fence; “I’ve got it if you want it” and “I don’t care what it costs, I want it, now”.
Being a census year I wonder what our nation statistics will reveal about U.S. This is somewhat of a snapshot of who we were in 1905: The average life expectancy was 47 years. Only 14% of homes in the U.S. had a bathtub and only 8% had a telephone. A three minute phone-call from Denver to New York City cost $11.00. There were only 8,000 cars and 144 miles of paved roadways. The population was 1.4 million people and California was ranked 21st in populous. The average wage was 22 cents an hour and the average worker made between $200 and $400 dollars per year. More than 95% of all births in the U.S. took place at home. Ninety percent of U.S. physicians had no college education. Instead, they attended medical schools deemed substandard by our own government. The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower. Sugar cost four cents a pound. Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen. Coffee was fifteen cents a pound. Most women washed their hair once a month using either borax or egg yolks for shampoo. The five leading causes of death in the U.S. at the time 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 were not yet states. The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was 30!! Crossword puzzles, canned beverages and iced tea had yet to be invented. There was no Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. Two out of ten U.S. adults couldn’t read or write. Only 6% of all Americans had graduated high school (10th grade). Marijuana, heroin and morphine were all available OTC at the corner drugstore. There were only 230 reported murders in the entire U.S. that year.
Two fellows opened a butcher shop and prospered. Then an evangelist came to town and one of the two butchers was converted. The now Christian butcher tried to convert the other, but to no avail. Then one day he asked, “Why won’t you Charlie?” To which he replied, “Listen Lester, if I get religion also, who’s going to weigh the meat?”
[1 Timothy 6: 3-10] Please, don’t get me wrong here. I’d never turn down a Lottery winning. There’s nothing wrong with being rich. Paul says be careful how you get there and what your doing with your riches. People seem to forget a basic consumer rule. The consumer rules. The consumer is the one who drives the price of goods. Supply and demand still works. Paul continues to teach, in verses 17-19 of this same chapter, that wealthy persons should not put their faith in their money to supply everything, but in God, who will supply their every need. Wealth should be used for good deeds and the wealthy should be generous and willing to share. You can’t take it with you and you’ll leave it to someone, some day. Put it to good use now and God will bless you in the end.