Evening star., 1893-12-16
Sc DING PRES ENTS.
The Bush is Already On and the Post Office
Busy.
Omcfal Advice as to Sendfng Presents
Letters for santa Claus-For-
eign Mail First.

The mall tells Of the approach Of Santa
Claus. The pressure Of Yuletide corre-
spondence Is beginning to be felt, and the
postal people are gtrding their loins for
the rush. They win lend a hand to help
Washingtonians give the patron saint Of
winter his annual embrace. and will exert
themselves in making his reception a sue
cess. Mighty mails always mark the on
coming Of the hero Of the season. As yet
the tidal wave has not disturbed the even
tenor Of the postal service, but the sounds
and signs which tell of its advance are
heard and seen. Preparations for the post
and parcel flood are being rapidly perfect
ed. Substitute carriers are held in readi-
ness to execute the orders of their chiefs
and to distribute that mail which Will
kindle fires on cheerless hearths and light
hope in hopeless hearts: which will tell
people that they live in the memory Of
absent friends; that distance is no obstacle
to unity. and that the season is one Of hap
piness and love.
Sending Presents.
Today there is a slightly abnormal move
ment OF outgoing mail. Washingtonians
are thinking Of the friends in far-ofr lands
and sending their tokens of love, SO that
they may reach their destination by Christ
'-~~"
Of this mail, and the number of packages
addressed to Ireland and Germany prove
how well those countries are represented
here. and how strongly the memories OF
home cling round the minds of our for
eign-born population. Many OF these par
GELS will find their way to the dead letter
once. II history Is to repeat itself. as in
past years a large percentage of the Christ
mas mail finding its way into the dead
letter office has been just this class of
matter. There are two reasons for this
1t Is addressed, in a large number of cases
by people who are not quite up to Amerf-
can postal requirements. and then many
articles mailable under the postal rules
and regulations of the United States are
unmailable under the laws of the Universal
Postal Union. A good deal Of the postal
outflow is addressed to long g-distance points
in the boundless west where the slow going
star route coaches hold sway and pursue
their wild and wooliy way. The swell of the
incoming mail is scarcely felt as vet. and
is day or so later in setting in this wear
than last 1t will begin to manifest itself
% ABOUT MONDAY. and by the middle Of the
thorities will have to hustle to handle it
Young America.
few Of the usual Santa Claus letters
have been received from Young America.
They are addressed to Santa Claus, Kris
kringle. &c. and are variopsiy signed Jim
my and Johnny. These letters are held be-
cause of insufficient address. One young
Washingtonian prays Santa to fetch him a
gun, a sword and a belt, saying that he
wants ter lick the stuffin' out'n Billie
what lives on the next square" Sister Sue
Is on hand with her request for a doll, al
leg1ng that her mamma is too poor to buy
tr,,st i, a.. sus .os anu .nat sne PAGES her
comes up smiling and says "plese unkel
Santa plese tu sen me a perl,ce rissei ana
klub fer want tu run in sone ~ ths othr.
fellers."
Lighter This Year.
tho nost of,,oo oeso;a,s -,
Chr,n. -, -. A .hae ehe
S.,"n,t y, is year VIII pe con-
81, aoiy hsh'er tnan tnat OF last year.
They also base this prediction on inter
views which they have had with merchants
who say that although the holiday trade a.
brisk n is below the standard for a oorra
spending time last wear The thris,mss
r,y.,s NIL, 60, a., -. .ha 60 .I
- ".n,,s. M, M oue 's io.n' Sie maxi
,a u eSp.s ILLS viii IN, oe reacheu on december
20, "a tne NE, ueenne VIII sc. IN on pecemner "A
oant ho,e ,,,r,,,ai .sn I ~ az apour ioo per
or3tnaw conSitinn. % NIL, IN sd l. men the
several weeks the n"rnai % ~ ,.i,S ano lor
normal. "' VIII oe suD-
The normal postinp NJ nacp,ro. -. e..
Washington office is 45O per daS on ne ny
eember 10 n will ha hor+ 7 zoo. 3o., ooo
DIST. 100: 12d n O0O. 2ad 4; o0o. o1.S
Z 600 and from the asth 10 the ers, q. III;
run about 900 a day This is hased on a.
mail of last year and an allowance is mede
for the expected decrease.
Omctal Advice.
The ofsc,.,. or. raas, g.
" s w siappie win tne
He" eohoieions' IN oroef 10 prevent disap-
posh'm as mucn as possible the city post
once has issued circular. which says
among other things:
"At this season of the wear when nerson.