Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-24
LOADS OF CHRISTMAS THINGS.
Busy Times ut the Post Once ssd Empress
OficeA.

Ofhce~.
THE LETTER CARRIERS WEIGHED powN WITH
SANTA CLAUS MAu-A GREATER BUSINESS THAN
USUAL DONE By EXPRESS CoMpANrEs-pEI.IvKR-
mo PACKAGES FROM STORES.
II any one thinks this is not the Christmas
season q trip to the city post Office will coon
convince him Of his error. Long lines OF wait
ing people crowd around the windows where
packages are weighed and stamps sold. To &C
commodate the unusual crowds two Of the
stamp clerks have been stationed in the long
grimy corridor in front of the windows. and
there they sit at two plain wooden tables from
morning TO night weighing and stamping
Christmas presents that are on their way to
some distant city or village. The amount Of
mail matter that goes through n big city post
Office at this season Of the year is something
really amazing. Ordinarily the packages and
bundles do not constitute very large part of
the mail matter, but at We NERVE Christmasse
season they come in and go out of the Offices by
the hundreds of bushels and tomorrow the let
ter carriers will have their usual leather bags
reinforced by big two-bushel canvas sacks. one
over each shoulder. There will be morning
deliveries tomorrow as usual, and il is needless
70 say the carriers will have all they can at
tend to-
No DELAY IN SENDING OR DELIVERING.
Notwithstanding the immense amount OF mat
ter that is going through the post Office in this
city just now, the mails are all leaving on time
and being distributed as fast as they arrive.
There Is no blockade and people cannot complain
OF having their presents DELAYED at the Office this
year. Last year there serious blockade,
but the addition since then of tventy-four men
to the mailing department and thirty to the city
| delivery division has placed the Office in much
more satisfactory condition. Moreover the
law allows the employment of all the substitute
| carriers at this season. This addition to the
| carrier force will give an added capacity
OF 2iO bushels of mail on the morrow's morn
| ing delivery alone Almost all of the regular
! carriers will voluntarily make extra rounds
well, IN order TO prevent their mail from ac-
eumnlating on them too heavily. And then,
too, christmas Is a great day for people to re-
member In some substantial manner the men
| who SO faithfully bring them their letters. day
| In and day out. the year round, in hot weather
and cold, stormy and fair.
| FEW CHRISTMAS PACKAGES LOST.
Very few Christmas packages are lost in the
mails, though good many for some reason or
other find their way to the dead letter Office.
| But if there is any way of identifying a pack
age the greatest care is taken that il shall find
| Its way To the proper owner. In the pouches
| that reached Washington two badly broken par
GELS were found. One contained box of small
| bon bons and the other an elaborate hairpin.
Enough of the address left in each case.
| however, and the packages were carefully tied
| up and sent on to their respective destiina-
lions. The quantity of mail leaving the city was
heaviest early in the week. but today and to-
morrow are the busy days for the city deliv-
cry.
IN THE EXPRESS OFFICES.
Christmas in the express offices means time
Of constant active hustling from early morning
until late at night ever since last Saturday.
The packages have been coming in and going
out OF the express Offices in what seems a never
ending procession. The express wagons are
| flying about the city and the men are working
like beavers. All their activity results
In diffusing over this city and into
near and remote places all over
| this country a large area of Christmas cheer.
Those living temporarily in this city and who
are away from their homes at a season when
| every one wants to be at home if possible
deavor to soften the pangs of separation by
sending Christmas remembrance and greet
lngs to the members of the home circle. The
after reciprocate, and so just now
| Washington is the center Of a
great deal of the rejoicing which
pervades the entire country at this
holiday season. Packages of all kinds and of
| every shape and size come into the city by
every train. and the outgoing trains are loaded
down with Christmas presents. Great vans and
wagons are employed in carrying these pack
ages and an extra force of men, horses and
moving. There is no doubt that the prime
features of Christmas, which is the giving of
presents, is fully observed this year.
| BUSINESS BIGGER THIS YEAR THAN EVER.
ave have been agreeably disappointed" OBJ
served Mr.. Geo. w. Moss, the agent Of Adams
Express Company in this city, today in talking
with a STAR reporter. 1T WIS expected that
owing to the tightness of the money market
our business would be affected. This has not
proved to be the case. From reports Of our
| business during the 10th. 2lst and 22d find
that there has been an increase OF over twenty
per cent as compared with the same period of
last year. have no doubt that for the entire
period ending tomorrow that the increase will
be much greater. This result is a surprise. but
! it shows the hold that Christmas has upon our
people well as their generosity"
| I'VE have been obliged. continued" Mr.. Moss.
| ito increase our force OF men and to procure
additional horses and wagons. and vet we have
all We can to do to handle the business There
Is another surprising feature this year and that
Is the increase In the amount of perishable goods
that are shipping. find that we are bring
ing to this city IN dressed fowls, produce, &c.
more than double the amount we did last year.
| On one railroad line to this city from Virginia,
where We usually receive only half a car load
of goods, We are now bringing in four and a
half car loads. 1t is evident that there is plen-
tiful supply Of material for Christmas dinners"
LONG LINE.
While Mr.. Moss was talking the force of
clerks in the Office were busily engaged in re-
ceiving and registering packages, and people
were obliged to wait their turn to reach the
counters. The great piles of packages that
rapidly accumulated were being removed to the
| lower end Of the Office room and then placed in
wagons and hurried to the railroad stations At
| the receiving depot a force Of thirty-eight men
were engaged in receiving and shipping and
although this number was largely in excess of
the regular force, they were hardly able to keep
up with the work and additional assistants have
been supplied.
THE DELIVERY WAGONS.
Christmas is hard on the horses, especially
those engaged in hauling about the delivery
wagons of the various merchants. They are
kept going from morning to night and great
many extra horses and wagons are employed.
The parcel delivery companies are doing a
great business, and everything in the shape of
| horse wagon that can be brought into use
is kept employed. The rumble and rattle of the
wagons through the streets is q familiar sound
and no one objects to the noise, especially if
| it happens to stop in front of their door and
leave package. This means Christmas gift
to some one and the expectation of the men,
beers of every family is Kept alive by these busy
messengers. The horses and men find it hard
work, but no doubt the latter will have
chance to enjoy something of Christmas, as no