PREFACE. 



THE rapid growth of our country, which within a few years has definitely taken 

 its place as one of the great powers of the earth, and is now universally recognized as 

 such, presents every year a new and interesting chapter of history; and the most 

 gratifying feature of it is the fact that so little of it is war history and so much is 

 industrial and intellectual development. The American citizen who wishes to make 

 himself familiar with these successive chapters, and realize to what a great republic 

 he belongs, must read something that sums up, in a clear and concise form, the 

 results of the various forces whose workings are seen only in a fragmentary way 

 through the daily press. 



To learn what our country accomplished in the year just closed, one should first 

 read the article " United States," then look over the article " Congress," reading such 

 portions as to him are most significant ; then a careful reading of the " Financial 

 Review" will enlighten him as to the great business movements, with their causes 

 and consequences. Then, if he is inclined to ask "What is the use of all this 

 wealth ? " let him run through the article " Gifts and Bequests," and learn to what 

 noble uses tens of millions of American dollars are devoted every year. The articles 

 on the " Farmers' Congress " and the " National Grange," together with the para- 

 graphs on the agricultural colleges in the State articles, will show what is done for 

 the advancement of the business of agriculture. And a special article this year on 

 " Ship-Building " gives much hope of the revival of that important industry, which 

 has been almost a lost art with us for forty years. The progress in jurisprudence is 

 shown in the passages recording decisions in the Supreme Court of the United States 

 and in those of the several States. The growth of religious life, and the efforts to 

 spread the Gospel in missionary fields, may be seen in the articles on the various 

 religious denominations, which are full of significant facts and statistics. 



For the year's movement in the progressive sciences, the reader may consult the 

 articles "Astronomy," "Chemistry," "Medicine," "Metallurgy," "Physics," and 

 " Physiology," all of which are subdivided and subheaded, so that any specific sub- 

 ject may be turned to at once. If he is interested in the work of the artists, he will 

 find their record for the year under the title of " Fine Arts." 



In the domain of invention and experiment, the most interesting results are set 

 forth, with illustrations, in the articles " Aerial Navigation," " Submarine Boats," and 

 " Wireless Telegraphy." To know what has been accomplished in exploration, the 

 reader should turn to the articles " Archeology " and " Geographical Progress." The 

 former has some very curious illustrations. 



There is always something problematical and interesting in a country that has 

 recently been the seat of war, and few readers will fail to be interested in the account 

 of present conditions in Cuba, South Africa, and the Philippines. Of the agencies 

 that make for peace among the nations, are the Bureau of American Republics, the 

 International Conference, the Sanitary Conference, and the various international 



