The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-25

past four days Last year it took three wagons
to deliver their holiday parcels in the city; yes
terday they had ten wagons busily engaged,
and to-day they would have twelve. They say
their Christmas business is three times what it
was last year. The American Express people
say the same thing, and chat eight wagons. all
they have will be required to make
their deliveries in the city to-day.
The latter part of last week they
were busy forwarding Christmas freights
to distant points, Utah. Idaho and Washington
Territory while the packages and boxes that
went to Colorado and California were so numer-
Gus as to excite wondering comment from the
most hardened apathetic old stager in the bust
ness. More packages were shipped to foreign
countries than ever before A like report came
from the United States Express Company where
the men are worn out with hard work. They
will employ seven wagons to-day in their city
delivery, and even with that number hardly see
their way through.
To-day will close the busiest week the Indian
apolis postof6ce has ever known. week or
more ago the dSpatching of parcels or all kinds
to distant parts began. When Ii is taken into
consideration that books and merchandise can
be sent to the furthest points, even to Alaska
for the same money az to Irvington or May
wood one would think the postofice would get
ali the small. parcels and the express companies
little or none The reverse is true, for there is
for a great overflow, both the post
office and the express companies be-
ing gorged with holiday business. The
postoffice money order business has been i'm
mensc Two weeks ago the sending of money
orders to Germany and Ireland increased to a
wonderful extent. After that the domestic
business began. There are more money orders
paid here than bought. On Thursday over
81, 900 was paid on orders presented, and the
amount paid yesterday was even larger The
registered package and register letter business
has been greater than ever before. For four
days the sale of stamps and the weigh
the stamp window for dispatch to
friends abroad has entalled great labor.
For the past week the sale of stamps has aver
aged over 800 Cay. The usual sales average
about $500. Thus the package business makes
great deal of work without adding much to the
revenue of the government Books are sent
under cheap rate of postage. and the govern
ment loses on that class of matter we'll as
merchandise the paying business being letters
and postal cards. This is for the reason, as they
claim, that If package is going to distant
point. say from 500 to $500 miles away, it is
sent by mail, while the short distance packages,
OIL which some money might be made, are sent
by express at as low rate as they would be
taken by the post
Christmas stuff packages of all kinds, bulky
but light, has been coming in for two weeks and
increasing from day TO day. eliminating in a
mountain of packages and parcels last night
which the carriers will have to deliver to-day.
Twenty of the carriers will be helped somewhat
in their delivery by havir this matter sent out
in wagons to stations on their routes, where
they can pick it up and deliver it, but tighten
their labor as much as it is possible to, to-day
is TO be dreaded and they look upon it as
anything but merry Christmas to them
The postal clerks on all the roads corning
in here are loud in their complaints OF the
quantity of holiday stuff they have to handle,
and say it is at least twice as heavy as they
had last year. Do the best they can, there will
be Christmas stuff delayed, as they will he un-
able to make the distribution. On the Terre
Haute line yesterday one of the experienced
men came in stuck with ten tie-sa,ks more
other lines,