I can only imagine what life must have been like in Knoxville in 1905. The dirt street and horse droppings made for a toxic mix. The horse urine must have made the odor even more interesting. The way the street slopes to the sidewalk would also have made the toxic mix migrate during the rain. All the better to take some home on your shoes and long skirts to share with family and friends, not to mention fellow trolley riders. What about the flies? It's Knoxville: there had to be flies aplenty. Considering the primitive medical practices of the time, it's no wonder life expectancy was in the fifties.