Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-14
CHRISTINA MAILS
Valuable Advice to Those Intending
to Send Gifts Away.
4 TALK WITH POSTMASTER WlLLETP
How to Insure the Safe and Prompt
Delivery Of Packages.
PREPARING FOR THE RUSH

The city post office authorities are MAX
ing preparations to handle the immense in
crease in the mail which always occurs just
previous to and around Christmas. and from
now until the last gift is sent and received
through the medium of the government
mail bags about the busiest people in
Washington will be Postmaster Willett and
his energetic assistants With a little care
and foresight, the people who patronize
the post Office and take advantage Of its
facilities can assist the men who have this
important branch of government work in
hand in a very substantial manner. and at
the same time save themselves and their
friends great deal of annoyance and vex-
alton. First ard foremost the persons who
Intend sending holiday remembrances to
friends at distance should attend to this
pleasant portion Of their Christmas duties
before any others. This system, If gener-
ally followed. would insure the delivery of
such articles. If sent by mail, to those
they are intended for in time to add to
| their enjoyment of the greatest day in the
year when the day arrives. 1t Is the ex-
perlence or almost every one to have re-
ceived gifts from faraway friends two or
three days after Christmas has come and
gone, and while their receipt is, of course.
gratifying it is not as much so as it would
have been II the remembrances had reached
In almost every instance where SUCH delays
occur the post office people are blamed for
1t, but II the critics could only get a glimpse
Of the enormous amount of mail that is
piled into the various post offices of the
country day or two before Christmas,
they would wonder how the greater mass of
1t was ever going to be transported at ALL
Postmaster WiIIetfs Directions.
1--WE are in splendid shape for handling
the holiday mails" said Postmaster Willett
today, land there will be no delay in the
prompt collection, transportation and de-
livery Of them If the public will only deposit
their packages and bundles by degrees, SO
to speak, and not wait until Christmas eve
to deiuge the mails with them.
Il would like to impress upon The Star
readers who contemplate sending gifts out
of town the wisdom of following a few
easily understood directions: In the first
place, packages intended for the mails
should be carefully wrapped in strong pa
per and legibly addressed to the persons to
whom they are sent. The name and ad-
dress of the sender should also be plainly
written at the upper left-hand corner of
such packages in order that they may not
be sent 70 the dead letter office in case the
postage upon them is not fully prepaid. By
this course the sender can be informed of
the amount due, and the delivery of the
package assured by the addition CT the
postage necessary.
1T should also be borne in mind" con-
tinued Mr.. Willett, that the postage on
packages of merchandise which are unsealed
is one cent per ounce, while on sealed pack
ages the full letter postage of two cents
per ounce is necessary, and must be paid
A package tied with string or fastened
with paper fasteners is unsealed, and when
securely fastened in this way is Just as
safe for transportation and delivery as If
1t were sealed with wax
Well Worth Remembering,
Merchandise is liable to be returned to
the sender If 1t is misdirected or illegibly
addressed: If 1t bears insufficient postage:
If the package contains unavailable matter
or If 1t contains writing and is unsealed.
1t Is well to also bear in mind that only
bona fde samples of merchandise can be
sent to foreign countries unsealed; all seal
ed packages must be fully prepaid at letter
rates and If they are supposed to contain
merchandise they will be stamped liable to
customs duty.
Il hope" repeated Mr. Willett, that
those who expect to send Christmas gifts
to out-of-town friends. and especially to
these who reside in the distant states and
territories, will mail them early, if they
purpose using the mails and will not wait
until day or two before Christmas for
this purpose"
Directions From the Department.
In connection with Postmaster Willett's
advice the notice issued in October by
First Assistant Postmaster General Jones
is interesting not only for the present time
but the future well.
Be sure you have sufficient postage on
packages.
Inquire at post office if in doubt and
avoid delay of packages in post office or in
dead letter Office at Washington.
Packages sealed require letter rate. Pack
ages unsealed. with writing on inside in the
nature of correspondence, require letter
rate.
Certain articles of merchandise, sealed or
uEsealed, to foreign countries are stopped
in the dead letter office unless fully pre-
paid at foreign letter rate.
Many articles of merchandise are abso-
lutely prohibited transmission in the mails;
therefore inquire before mailing.
Parcels to Canada or Mexico must never
be closed against inspection.
Inquire always If in doubt, and save
money and prevent delay.
Extra Wagon Collections.
Beginning with December 10 there will be
an extra force employed at the mailing de-
partment of the city post office, and extra
wagon collections will be made from the
various substations of Importance. At the
main office on G street in the corridors
there will be employees stationed to weigh
packages and bundles, and tell the senders
the exact amount of postage required on
EACH and TO give any other information de-
sired to assure the safe and speedy delivery
of the mails. In this way a person can
purchase stamps without any delay at the
window.
The extra wagon collections will be made
from the following SuDStatlOnS beginning
December 10 and ending Christmas morn
ing at 10 o'clock:
Station No. 1-14th and P streets north
vest
Station No 4-Connecticut avenue and L
street northwest.
Station No. 5-7th and T streets north
west.
Station No. SIS H street northwest
Station No. S-751 Sth street southeast.
Station No. 11-14th and Stoughton north
west.
Station No. 12-9th and H streets north
east.
Station No. 18th and Q streets north
west.
Station No. 1S-13th street and Pennsyl-
vania avenue northwest.
Station No. 22-The Cairo, Q between 10th
and 18th streets northwest.
Station No. 27-14th and streets north
west.
Station No. 2S-7th street and Pennsyl-
vanIa avenue southeast.
Station No. 29-9th and F streets north