The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-25
POsTOFFICE's BIG DAYS.
The Record Broken by Two Days
This Week

The Record Broken by Two Days
This Week
Yesterday and to-day are the record
breaking days in the history of the Sa-
vannah postoffice," said Postmaster
Haines to a Morning News reporter yester-
day.
1--WE have handled more mail mattemn
the last forty-eight hours than the office
ever handled before. The rush was so
great that was compelled to ask the per-
mission of the department to put on four
substitute carriers. The permission was
granted and the four substitutes went out
with the regular carriers all laden down
with mail. The substitutes will remain on
duty until the holiday rush is over. During
the first part of the week the rush of mail
matter was outward. Now it is inward
The rest of the country is reciprocaung
with us in an exchange of presents"
The money order department did the
heaviest business Wednesday in the
history of the postoffice and the regis
try department came TO the front Thurs
day with the heaviest business of any day
since its establishment. All the depart
ments did a heavy business yesterday.
The mail matter is being handled with
all the expedition possible but the receipts
are so heavy that the carriers can hardly
used yesterday in delivery packages ana
one of the carriers in one of the residence
districts hired a hack to help him de-
liver his mail.
The eight-hour law, which prohibits a
letter carrier from working over eight
hours a day, proves serious inconvenl-
cnce at times like this. Under this law
the carrier is compelled to quit work the
moment his time is up. He may be only
halfway through his route and perfectly
willing to finish it, but the law will not
permit him to do so. If he should be
compelled to work overtime he can sue
the government for damages and the rules
of the postoffice require that he shall
cease work on the minute. If he disobeys
he is suspended and is likely to lose his
job.
A complaint was received by the
Morning News from the residence district
of the alleged non-delivery of the north
ern mail on the afternoon of it's arrival.
Postmaster Haines and Assistant Post
master Waring were seen about the mat
ter The latter explained the carrier sys-
tenn in vogue in the Office, which is as
near perfect as study and experience can
make it.
1.-The only northern mail not delivered on
the day of arrival is that which arrives
by the p. m. train on the Florida Cen
! trail ana Peninsular railroad. BY the time
the mail arrives at the Office and is dis
tributed for the carriers it is black dark
and many people have closed their places
of business. This train is frequently late
and arrives at the Office too late to be
taken out by the carriers in the residence
districts on their last rounds In the
morning the carriers have an accumulation
of night mail, which is as much as they
can handle on their first delivery They
leave the office with this anyway before
the arrival of train So of the Plant system,
which brings the bulk of the northern
mail. This train arrives at S:24 railroad
time, or 9:24 city time, when it is on
time, which is not always the case. IT is
out of the question for the carriers to take
out the northern mail on the first deliv-
cry on account of its late arrival. II
reaches the residence districts on the Sec
ond delivery, which is made later in the
day"
All the residence districts begins at Lib
erty street. The residence district which
receives the heaviest mail is that between
Liberty and Anderson and Whitaker and
Abercorn. Carrier S. A. Campbell has
this district. He is the smallest carrier
in the employ of the Office but is said to
be hustler. lie is being assisted by a
substitute lust now