The Washington times., 1901-12-22
HOLIDAY MAIL BHGS
Santa Claus ut Heavy Loads
on PoSto .ce Men.
Ordinary Force Entirely Too Small-Larce
Relay OF Extras tmployed-C Careless
SenderS OF Parcels.

Twenty letters TO Santa Claus be-
fore / o'clock yesterday afternoon.
That is about the average amount OF
mail addressed in this fashion which is
now received every day by the force OF
clerks in the big grey building devoted
TO Uncle Sans Postoffice Department,
and not all of il will be delivered.
In fact the fate OF the Santa Claus
correspondence will ultimately be the
Dead Letter Office. But who knows this
None but the officials, and they won't
tell.
Just about now the American lad and
the American lassie arc exceedingly act
I've. What they are doing to The over
worked postal clerk could be expressed
in slang. but not in real correct English.
During the past few weeks the postofiice
branch of the Government has been ;he
busiest that ever worked in Washington.
and it will be continued for several days
more.
A generous Uncle Sam. however, has
tust put at the disposal OF the local post
Office an extra allowance OF ''ha ands'
amounting to 225 days of substitute labor,
a Christmas present guard of honor This
will he used during this week and up
until. New Year Perhaps the allowance
will be exhausted then. 1t is an entirely
safe proposition that the carriers viii
be. Superintendent of Carriers Major
James f. Bell seems to think so, and he
surely knows, for he is the man upon
whom has already fallen the entire bur-
den OF sorting. arranging and delivering
the mammoth avalanche OF mail matter
which has already begun TO pour into the
open Jaws OF the big leather receiving
bags
Large Force for Christmas work.
The order for the extra men was issued
on Tuesday in the form Of a requisition
on the PostofIice Department 10 supply
the necessary force. IT means that dur
ing the Christmas holidays more men viii
be employed in the handling OF mails in
the Capital than ever before in the his
tory OF the city.
II means that the extra men provided
for will be equal to the work Of one first
class clerk. working steadily for seven
months. Superintendent Bell explained
this. although he admitted that one man
working strenuously for more than half
year could perform a large amount OF
labor What the extra force now en-
ployed at the city postofice actually
means is that letters. cards. big little.
and all shapes and sizes. are streaming
into the city by the car load
THE mail is very heavy now. and We
hev OIL
ing care Of the great increase" said |
superintendent Bell. A part of the floor
fpace has been partitioned Cd TO accom- |
modate the wagon loads of Christmas
presents sent through the mails, and the |
clerks have been massed for duty at the |
points which we know will be more |
strongly assailed. That has to do with |
the preparations going on in the Office !
building
Packages Only Handled.
The force of 225 substitutes will be en- !
ployed entirely in the delivery Of pack
ages. They will handle no letters. but
while they are employed they will be the
most busy people in the country ANY
one OF them could pose for a study repre-
senting Labor or 'Harassed, OF any
other such sentiment.
Their labors will not cease until the
holidays are passed. This year We have
inaugurated an entirely new feature in
the delivery OF Christmas presents. Each
carrier leaving the office 10 deliver TO his
route will be given a list of every pack
age with which he is laden. As he de-
livers each one he will check 1t off. and
the list will be returned to the main of.
fee. This is TO guard against the COM
plants which are filed every year. after the
holiday season. by househoIders whose
thieving servants probably make of with
the articles. for the loss Of which We are
called careless.
Woman's Bcsetfing Sin.
oh cried Superintendent Bell. push
ing his hands through his hair. IF peo-
pie sending their presents to loving
friends would only be a little careful.
hoS simple the whole matter OF approach
ing the problem would becon e to US. But
they don't. man or women sending a
valuable present through the mails is the
most abjectly careless, thoughtless. and
criminally Indifferent human being in the
world.
The average MAI sending a frail
trinket through the Postofice Depart
ment has no more eompunction about ty-