The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-12-24
CHRISTMAS
MAILS HEAVY.
Extra Men Employed at
the POStOfflCe.
YESTERDAY'SSTAMP SALE
Thirteen Hundred Dollars Received
For Stamps.
YESTERDAY'SSTAMP SALE
ALL DEPARTMENTS VERY BUSY.

The postoflice is busy place at this
time and mail matter has been piling in
during the last few days by the ton. In
spite or this up 10 last night no mail had
accumulated on the floors of.the. .postoblce.
It seems hardly credible that such inn
aeLss amounts. of mail could be- handled
and delivered SO promptly. or course. ex-
ira men have been employed, but TO a
certain extent this upsets the regular
routine work and makes IL oil the harder
TO get the mail out of the possotlce. The
outgoing mails have boon larger than
ever before. Yesterday the sale of stamps
at tie stamp window alone amounted 20
over $500. the equivalent OF 80. 600 2-cent
stamps This means that a line of peo-
pie stood all day passing one at time be-
fore the window, and making the de-
sired purchase.
The money order and registered letter
departments are also pushed TO their limit
at the present tlmo. a casual glance
around tho corridors of the building re-
venls all sorts and shapes of packages.
thick bundles, and thin bundles small
bundles and big bundles, round bundles
and square bundles, soft ones and hard
ones. wide ones and narrow ones, 'ln
fact every kind one con think Of
~
of five or six Italians flour shing 80 and
$40 bills In great abundance, and evidently
discussing the details OF sending away
the money 20 dear ones IN the sunny
home land.
The present year, by the way has been
the most successful one the Providence
postofllCo has ever known.
The volume of business far exceeds that
Of any previous year. The excess OF busi-
ness this year over that Of last year is
more taan double the whole years tusi-
ness of the East Providence postoifice, and
that office does smart little traffic.
Business WIS not especially active until
about the lst OF October, tut since then
il has been unprecedented. The post
master takes thts TO mean general re-
vival in business. and the volume or busi-
ness passing through the postoifices Is al
ways taken to be q sure Indication OF
business conditions in general.
The suD-oiiice at Elmwood, station a. Is
considered complete success as IL re-
lievcs tAe main Office of d good deal OF
work and so shortons the whole city's
masl. and besides is very acceptable to
Elmwood people.
Although the postal service in this city
is so efficient, there is one department.
that is always complained about that is
the carriers delivery. A great deal of
thought and planning is spent Dy those
and rapid delivery OF the mails to all
pa, is OF tho city. But people come to
the pos tmaster to complain that they
don't get Ethcir mail until nearly 9
o'clock, and Mr.. So-and-So gets his be
fore ) so'clock, just as if IL were possible
for all to ket their mail at the same
time. The next fellow that comes in tr
register his kick says that he can't have
carriers racketing around his house and
ringing his heli before ne Is up In the
morning2 "Why, says he, "tnat fellow
comes "a ound and wakes me out OF
sound sleep before O'Clock in the morn.
ing
ii carrier has been delivering his
route certain way for some time and
for some reason it is delivered Just the
reverse, thosa who have baen accustomed
to get their nail worry carly, of course, will
DO tho last to get IL under the changed ar
rnngement 30 they come down TO tell
the postmaster that they always used To
get their mail by O'Clock and now II rs
10 before they get it. They declare That
the postmaster don't know what he IL
doing anu that they are unjustly treated,
while the folks at the other end who
are getting their mail two hours earlier
than usual fail TO see anv ini0stice. They
simply laugh and say, 'E, cry dog has
Ills day. You've had yours. now we'll
have ours" But OF course, the other
fellow can't see IL, and the postmaster
says tho iunny part is that no explanation
does any good Ihey won't listen to ex-
planation, not even clever business mon
who appear with some complaint. A lit
tie use Of common sense would settle the
whole matter, but sslfshnoss rlles su-
premo and so the postmaster Is kept in
constant turmoil all the time over some
thing that cannot be changed SO that the
result will bo any etter. Every change
produce rev set of kickors. But tho
postmaster gets hardened to this sort Of
thing and pays little attention TO il, but
goes along the evenstenor Of his way.
trying all tho time To remedy actual
faults that exist ana make improvements
here md there and In fact working hard
20 better the service. 1t Is this sort of
spirit among those connected with great
departments that maintains department
on high standard and renders an ell
oient service for the public.