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THE PROSPERITY WAVE. BRADSTREET REVIEWS THE PROGRESS OF PROSPERITY IN THE UNITED STATES IN A VERY FORCIBLE MANNER. PRESENT PROSPERITY NUVEK BEFORE EQUALED. The annual review of American trade, finance and Industry, prepared by Uradatreet's, and given publicity on the -'7th of December, declares IHOI to be ii rerord-breaker ' amoiiK the flvo succeeding yearn of commercial ex panslon enjoyed l»y the United States. It* preeminence, the review states, hum all the more notable because it Buffered from a combination of happen- Ings thai in a normal year would have proved depressing, li not diaan trouM. enumerated in the latter arc the, machinists' and steel striken, the Block Panic ot May, the [a;iuru ol sev eral iraprudcntly-manageO combina tions, tin? effort* of sucn couiulua tloiiH, including Uiai in copper, to Ilx prut*. Uie hbortuKf n coin, cotton 1 and oatH, aim llic as«a*alnatlon ol j President Meßluley. Summarizing the general situation, the llevlew says: Tlu iron pioductJou will not be ur from one-ooveuili larger Uiau lue heaviest over beiore recorded. Shoe l»i«j.ui< iiou and Kinpmcuut uud larger! leather production nave been appar- ! cnL iron prouucilou ami biilpments ' were never beiore eijuaieu. Aninra- Ctlu coal production will be lully lo ; per cent, larger tnun Uu»l >'e»ir, and o per cent, heavier man the record. Woolen manufacturing nu» been helped by low cost ot material and nowl at mand for clothing. All tbc returun aro not «o favorable, rbere has been !••«» money in cotion lor the Soutn tliia year. The agricultural interest bos been favored by ~eayy advance* I in farm product*, which have uuuc much to counterbalance reductions In yield. Kxp-jil trade hah biiowu signs vt hesitation ulter yearn ol steady ad- Nance, and import* have Increased but mainly «n material* Intended lor do mestic manufacture, and the margiu In lavor of exports l» Btiil enormously heavy. ' The bank clearings are estimated at $14$,uw,wu,Imju, a gam of Us per cent. ov«r la*t year, and -0 per cent., since 1 b'J'J. *ihe Middle Stale* show the greatest Increases in clearings. Aj» u> tn»b bhowing the Review bay.s: ••"brieny BummarUing, tiie ywir i»ah Keen iriiasacled an aggre^au' ut gen eral bu*iueiM aa reUecteU l» bank clear ing^. tar m excesa of any preieUmg period, baa witnessed »>iock specula tion. rau«pant beyond Uie dreams ol old-time »»ruKert\ checKCd ana cui lalietl by one ot the uiiurpvbt blocK t».inics in hlbtory, and yet with a re niorkablc minimum ol uiaturumice oi general nnanclal operaUons; haa watched general Indiibtry and produc tion grow steadily until now and larger llguret* were needed to eXprcfe* tiie outputii of coal and ore and iron and steel and leather and lumber and a multitude of other branches; ha» H.en the freight traiibportation facili ties of the country strained to Uie breaking point, prove insuinck-nt to handle the volume of business offered, aiicl finally biw witnessed a volume ot holiday Uusinoss pansiug all previous bounds, both in quantity and qual ty, and tho vastly Increased purchasing power of the public iv lato yeare. Prom the nlundpoint of the present estimates, the clearings thia year will exceed tb»; highest rcvorus of prcced- Ing years by one-fourth. i;roh« rail way earnings have Increased 12 1 per (•4-nt and net retuniH have gained lo per cent, over the beat preceding y»«ar. Tho fallurea for the year are placed at I 0.&85. with aggregate liabilities of fiau.ouu.uuo and n»*v\* of J00.300.000. Ah to this Bhowing, the. Review add*: "This Ih a gain of s.«) per cent. *«»»»'»- Imt over lvou. and of marly l- per cent over lhW. but back of that year coroparlsona favor the current-one l.tabilltles have not gained relatively M heavily, an bhown by the fact that lh..y ar« only J. 4 p«*r cent. largOT Uilb year than la^t, and tJ.h pi«r cent, larger ihnn in 18D9. In only throe ol the pa«t r I "nyn y • trs. in fact, were llabllftlcj 8 ui lli-r than they were thin >t;ar A Joint often lost Bight of is that there » a coiiHtant accchblon of lu-w nd - vlilualH, llrinH ami rorporatloOi in buhl "hra a baila f«>r the recording of num. eroua unauocewful ventures. IJjn are now 178.000 morn people In buslneaa Uiau there were a dtcado »«<>, an in crease of 10 jmt cent., but fuilur«« have otiiy Increased "> per cent, in number during that period, arm MahliltleM arc only 20 !»• i rent, larger, a continuing unfavorable feature Ih the small per* centoge (if assets to linblllti«H It 1h only 4»». I p«»r cent, tfiln year, OS against 47.2 per cent, a year ago, and 62 per cent. In IBU9 and 1808." Am to prices, the Review says: "Wheat ban reached the hub«- i -i point since ihith; corn and oats are higher than for almost a decade, and other produce hat* sympathized. "Hood product*, v* a v nnh*, are higher than in the general price boom of IIHK), while niunufai turt'H are lower, notable in Dili respect being leather textiles, coal and coke, naval stores, building materials, chemicals and drugs and mJscollaneoua products. •'Prices, OS a whole, are 8 per rent, lower than in February, 1IKK), and De cember, IS'j'j. but are higher than in any year from isi>3 until the third quarter of 1809. If other products fol low the lead of food products, an ih not unusual, a farther advance of the former Ih not unlikely. Iron and hteel pricvii aeem to lead in Uilh latter-day advance, buc the cither metals have broken away from them, and copper, bad and tin are weakening, the re mit of failures of unjudlcious attempts at control Inn production. Fo:>d HI.TK I.AKK WITH SIGNAL MOINTAIN IN THK DISTANCK- SOUTH WRST FROM THE TOWN OF IMPERIAL pioducta. largely imported, like coffee and sugar, have reached the low-water mark prices on large production. In summarizing the foreign trade, the Review declares that there has been a fulling off in the* demand abroad for American iron, steel and copper, a loss in profits in cotton ex ports, a reduction in the exports of corn and oats, phenomenal wheat shipments, and larger shipments of animals and provisions. Kxporta are estimated at $1,435,000. 000, or 1 per cent, less than the record of last year. This calculation treats I'orto Rico and Hawaii ns American territory. As to imports, the Review declares: {'Imports have gained slightly. They will aKgn'Kntf* at least $S7S.UUU.OIH», a gain of ;"..'» per cent, over UHio. leaving tho balance of domestic exports over imports not far from $560,000,000, or the third largest excess In the coun try's history." The Review states that the activity In transportation was unprecedented. The outlook is treated, in conclusion. an follows: 'Many elements of strength, and Home of the opposite chauu ter present thCtniclVfa tO view. The quietness of j IMI'KUIAI, I'KKSS i»l>ori tra»l«\ thOCked by relatively turl.'i pritiM h'f, and lark of new demand uorcud, particularly in f#«r inany, uliidi country Ih reported iw;il \uy. iion nod iteel product! bciow cost, Off) ob«tiu lei lo Increased • lii|>m« i * r r* I-.. tnlN country, On tin* Other hnnd KnftliSfi trade juivlci-H are father M*t- U'T. nnd the predicted early «iihp<n moii of h'/HtllltlfM In .-»«>uth Africa and Ihe rctumptloti <>t large K"i«i shipincnia from thai section, are favorable fva tur«'i< |ti<«»'fitinK tii«'juH«iv*-H. I* v rope apparently must buy our wheat and rot ton freely, but :ih loiik an dorn«r»tlr activity In trade, particularly Iron nnd i (eel i continues, the need of a foreign outlet Ih not regarded at pressing, if only a portion of the hl^n hopes In ciuiK f 'd in uh a r'-Hiiit of the recent con ferences of capital and labor material* )/.«•, Industrial pence and K"od com me rclal fueling and prosperity will hay*> h«''r» powerfully furthered." According to tin* Journal of O/tn" merce, In commercial circles, it Ih gen erally conceded that January disburse' rm-nUi for \'jO2, on account of Interest and dividend payments will break all records. But I mates of New York »Ilh bursements alone run as hi«h as $150. 000.000, while the total disbursement* at N'*w York, HoHton and I'hlladel phla have been placed at above $200, 000,000. One of the mo«t unique publications which have as yet appeared as a South ern California production is entitled "Callfornlana, and Sketches of the Southwest." by William M. Bristol. and is issued from the Times-Mirror Publishing House. The work is profusely illustrated with half-tone engravings from photo graphs from nature, and the drawings are by Constance Karris, from sugges tions by the author. Among the (lustrations may bo noted "The Phantom Sea." a view from the mountains when a heavy fog tills the valley, with an occasional hill rising through the fog. forming an island in the misty sea; "In the Pines; Fhere i.- Silver in the Brook." a mountain stream referred to poetically while v more practical man would look upon this scene ns a good foundation for an Irrigation system and a power plant. A date troe bearing fruit looks like .i scone at the head of the Im perial Canal system; a tall eucalyptus troo. of which we have so many; an umbrella tree, one of the most beauti ful summer shade trees to found in this sunny cliiuo; the yucca, so familiar lo those who have crossed the Mo- Javo desert; a group ot sycamores, which looks very much like a view of a section of Mill Creek Zanja, near Callforniana. f tad lands; "Th* Arrowhrnd." *o fa> mllsr a landmark to nil, located In tho mountain* north of Han fUrnnrdlno; "Baffle Ho* k." a peculiar rock In th« lulls we«f ttf Onrvanzn; "Th*» High. nnd Queen," o young lady picking lemons In a Highland orchard, although the author evidently Intended to apply tho name to a mountain in tho background Instead of the young Indy. n» a more practical man would do; "An Alliga tor Head and sphinx." a Bea-shorc view; "Nature's Hfifii" of Liberty," ft San I)ie«f> county sea* s bore wene; "Whale Flo< k." a very fishy-looking piece of landscape in Ventura County, and the "Elephant," a very natural rocky representation ot the gr»;at. un wleldy animal. Tho book Ih a poetical collection, aa well an collation of Home natural scenes to be found In Southern Cali fornia. It should find lt« way into every library in thin land, and Is an excellent souvenir to s^nd to friends in the East, all of whom arc so hungry for anything pertaining to this pe culiar country, especially when Cali fornia scenery i« under consideration. Ah an illustration of the practical gems found in this unique volume, we copy the following: A California Alphabet. A is for Apricots, ready In June, H for the. Blackberries following aoon; C Is for Cherries, that melt In the mouth, I) for the Dates that are grown in the south. X Eucalyptus, a monolith tall, F the tall Kig-troe that stands by the wall. U for the Grapes and the Gold from the hills; H for the Honey the dew-drop distills. I Irrigation, the magical key; J the scrub cedar or Juuiper tree. X for the Kumquat as small as a dime, I, for the Loquat, the Lemon and Lime; M for the Melons that cover the ground, N for the Nectarines rosy and round; () for the Oranges, ruddy as gold. P for the Plums and the Peaches un told; (J for the Quinces for sweet-apple stew, H for the Raisins that go with them. too; S for the Strawberries, rod all the time. T the Tomatoes that take the same rhyme; 1 T the Umbrella troo. and in its shade, V the Vaqero that's wooing 1 the maid; \V Walnuts, the best In the land. X In a quadruple X row for their brand; V for the Yucca, the wilderness tree. Z for the Zephyrs that Mow from the sea. 3