The Portland daily press., 1900-12-25
People Have Bought Many Costly
Presents.
Big Sale Of Stamps at
Post Office.
Very Heavy Mail Has Been the
Rule This Year.

The holiday trade which came to an
end at eleven 'olook last night has been
the largest the merchants OF Portland
have ever known. Almost oil OF them
concede this statement to be oonserva-
tive and within the fact. More costly
Christmas gifts win be distributed In
this city today than have ever before
been given by the people of this city. The
jewelers. are the tradesmen who suffer
when the people feel poor. They sell ar
ticIs for ornaments and for display more
than for use, and when times are hard
the goods they dispose OF are cheaper and
less expensive. This year their custom
ers have been purchasing costly gifts and
this is better indication than anything
else of the prosperous condition Of the
people of this city and this part OF the
state.
Up to eleven O'Clock last night and for
week preceding yesterday tue stores OF
Portland nave been literally packed with
people. In some OF them the crowds were
so great yesterday that 1t was necessary
for the proprietors TO have men stationed
at the doors TO direct the crowds In order
and to enable people TO get IN and out
of the stores.
The street cars were jammed all day
while the sidewalks were almost
impassabls. These hurrying throngs
laden with all manner Of mysterious
appearing packages, were moving in
steady professions up and down the busi-
ness streets all day. 1t was an interest
ing scene to witness and good place in
which to study character.
At the post office the poor. over worked
clerks were still psgging away at the
ever increasing pile Of mail sacks last
night. They all united in saying that 1t
was the heaviest mail they have ever
handled and only the excellent system
and constant work on the part OF all
hands prevented the office from being abb
solutely showed under with Santa Claus
mail I'D 90 81 o'clock last night there
had been more stamp sales from thu post
office than ever before In Its history,
anu the offics was doing land office
business M to the time the window
closed last night. In stamps alone over
500 was taken in yesterday, thus beating
the record The night mails were partic-
ularly heavy, all the trains coming into
Union station with double mail cars and
express cars, and with double crews at
work in thsm. Hundreds of people also
came down on these trains to spsnd
Christmas In Portland with thsir frisnds
while hundreds moresjourneyed through
towards the east. All OF these had arms
nllei with packages and happy faces
1t has been remarkably warm week
Tor this time of year, and this has had
m UGH to do with helping the trade in
Portland. There was a time when snow
was necessary to stimulate trade In order
that the people from the country might
get into the city to make their purchases.
That time has passed with the advent
of the suburban railroads which give all
hands a chance to get into town and
home again with little trou BILE whether
thers be snow or not. it Is hard on the
however, to have Christmas
without snow, though the ice still holds
out ana the skating is said to be very
good in some places. This good skating
has heen a boom to the dealers in skates
and as one of them said yesterday, he had
sold more skates in two days this year
than he sold ali last year.
The street vendors Of Christmas |
trees had nearly all sold out their stock
at ten click last night. while those
who sell holly and Christmas wreasns did |
3 great business.