Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-12-25
IN THE NATIONS STOCKING

Forgetting self and your immediate surround
 ngs, after the first few hours of the pleasures of the day have passed, 1t will be interesting this Christmas morning to survey the country as a whole to stand before the brilliantly illumined Christmas tree of the nation, to dip into the depths of Uncle Sam's great stocking and take an inventory of the gifts to the people as a whole And in doing this to gain the full sig nifcance of the possessions of the hour, we must study the path of the past, examine the goal of the moment, and then look along the pathway leading into the future,
 We are closing year of prosperity, remark able, almost phenomenal, coming, as it did, upon the heels of a season of adversity universal in it's scope and devastating in it's influences It was courge that made prosperity possible, and it was courage born of full confidence one in another, in state, and in the efficacy of the ma chinery of the government-a beautiful, coun- try-wide eXemplitication of the brotherhood of man, inspired and cemented, and given new lease of life and added strength by the recurring fes- tivities incident to the anniversary of the birth of the Great Santa Claus, the giver of all givers.
 The country's present prosperous condition is the sequel to the story of the past twelve months now written and to be read in mental retro spective glance, and to be studied for defects in blazing more accurately the trail leading into the future The individual condition of this person or that person IS not to be considered. We must take the people as a whoe-the masses-and there is but one answer: We are better clothed, better fed, more regularly employed; there is feeling of good will toward all mankind.
 The passing sun of 1909 is now skirting the irridescent peaks of the mountain ranges; soon it will be submerged in the crimson glory of the western horizon, leaving star-studded canopy of matchless blue to roof the world during the night period of rest and repose.
 And the morning of 1910 will dawn in the splendOr of promise. It is seldom that general opinion is so optimistic as 1t is today. Even conservative observers are predicting banner business year for 1910. If there is any cloud it is the uncertainty regarding labor. The high cost of living has caused some unrest in this di- Irection, but ways and means will be found to con Icliate the spirit of toll and there will be no inter rupton
 There is much encouragement in the general increase of our foreign trade The present high prices of products may be blessing i'll disguise in enormously enlarging our agricultural area While the holiday trade has not shown any rec ord movement, 1t has in the main been highly satisfactory, and added in general way to the cash surpluses of the dealer, and left coin in the hands of the people. The outlook could scarce be more propitous We, in the mineral produc- ing world, are going to the close of the year with the promise of fifteen-cent copper at the opening of the second month of 1910. The general situ- Iation is better than it has been for two years Ipast. An additional shelter is in operation, a big reduction plant is building, new and import ant strikes are of frequent occurrence, there seems to be plenty of money for development purposes, and, wonderful as have been the achievements of the past, peep into the future is even more lustrous.