The Savannah morning news., 1900-12-26
MANY THOUSAND PACKAGES.
POsTOFFIcE AND ExPREss COM
PANY WE'RE RUSHED.

PANf WE'RE RUSHED.
Iocnl Express business Was Way
Ahead OF That Last Year-WaEons
Made Deliveries All Day Nester-
day-Jug Trade said 20 Have Been
the Heaviest Ever known-Nore
Than 100000 Pieces of Mail Deliv-
cred ON Monday and Tuesday.
Twenty-Five Carriers Were Loaded
Down with Letters and Packages.
whatever IL was that made the present
Christmas season so prosperous one.
there Is every indication OF the fact IN
the business Of tho postofice and the
Southern Express Company that u was
the best that has been known for years.
Il may have been ten cent cotton
that Is responsible for the generosity Or
purchasers. and there may have been
other causes. nevertheless It is true that
there has not been a Christmas Of sucn
great abundance. 80 20 speak, In many
years. even when business has been a.
its bot
The local business OF the Southern Ex-
press Company has been unusually heavy
this year. Agent Brown estimates ,aat
this years business was from 10 10 70 per
cent. heavier than that Of last yea.
Having been here so short time he has
not been able TO make comparisons with
other years. but states that the savan-
nah business has been exceptionally large
He has not yet been able TO figure out
the number OF packages received la the
city a. the office force mas been too busy
handling the heavy traffic 10 make up
reports but % has required an extra force
- succeed IA making she usual prompt
deliveries
Inc wagons Of the express company
We're out making deliveries al day yes
tefday and up 20 10 O'Clock LAST night
Zach wagon would take a certain section
OF tho city, 80 out LOADED 20 the gun
wales and then return for more. II Is
said that one wagon carried deliveries %
DC made only on Jones' street The eN-
press force worked rapidly. aud 10y last
i1gnt had delivered almost an Of tn.
christmas packages that came iu during
the DAY yesterday. By noon to-day the
company viii have delivered an 81 the
packages that came Ia last night as well
as those which arrive on the early morn
ing trains
IL is said the express company had this
year the biggest Jug trade ever Known
here There was carload after carload OF
,ugs-biE jugs. little jugs medium sized
JUGS and other jugs that belonged 20 mons.
OF these classes-all on their way into dry
counties where they We're 20 be rapidly
Transformed into jags-big iags. little jays
ana all the other kinds OF jags that come
H. between these two. IL Is said IL one
man could have had the jug trade this
season he might have retired wealthy.
With the pos,ofiice the rush has been
somewhat similar. though tho carriers
had 10 make their deliveries nfoot In
both the postofice and the express Office
however. there were employees who prac-
tically worked night and day FOR "a eou-
ple Of days In order 20 facilitate che dis
patch OF business
Twenty-Five letter carriers have been
busy since Saturday distributing the ac-
cumulated Christmas mail. The hardest
part Of their work. however. came on
Monday and yesterday. Monday they were
busy an day. and yesterday there was a
hard drive up 10 / O'Clock, when they
we're allowed 10 quit and take half a day
on
on every trip each carrier started out
with as much mail matter as he could
possibly carry. The average mail carrier
bore a striking resemblance 10 the pic
lures in the comic weeklies Of commuters
on suburban railroads. In some Instances
Il would have been difficult 10 imagine
how 50 many bundles and packages OF
all kinds aud descriptions in addition 90
heavy bags OF mail could have been car
ried by one man And yet the carriers
made many a trip headed down In This
way. carrying with them Christmas cheer
10 many a heart and many household
The mail man b. always eagerly sought
nut never. il would seem. has ne ben
SO generous Ia his distributions II Is
! estimated that on Monday and Tuesday
| each OF the carriers distributed 500 pieces
| OF mail This means total OF 1900
| pieces distributed by the twenty-five ear
riers In two days. Adj to This those dis
/ tributed at the registry window in the
boxes and through the general delivery,
and the amount for two days VIII go con-
sideraby over 10000.
The postohice had on hand last night
about l.oO pieces Of registered mail that
] had not been distributed. This did not
include those that arrived on tine night
trains and what will come this morning.
/ There will probably he i.0o more on these
/ rains All Of this. however. viii be de-
/ iVened to-day. Postmaster Doyle con-
sisers that the business on Monday and
! Tuesday was shree times as much as the
average. The rush Is over now. however.
/ and for the balance Of the week the car
/ rIers will have easier sailing