Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-12-19
NOT REINDEER,
Mail Cars Of United States Crowded
With Christmas Gifts,
santa Claus Methods Of Distribution With
Uncle Sam for Advance Agent.

Inc atmosphere about the express
oihces and the post offices these days
is saturated with contagion not, how
ever, the kind one should flee from.
VI tue contrary one wants to catch his
snare OF II if he wishes to thoroughly
ENJOY this holiday season. Watch the
EeaNy express wagons. the apoplectic
man pags going out and coming in the
next lew days. Think of all this Amer
icah hustle and hustle going on. from
Passport to Manila. all under Uncle
sam watchful eye. In practically ey-
cry habitahle cline known to this little
world Of ours Uncle Sans mail car
riefS VIII take Christmas gifts to some
one.
me post Office clerk and carrier here
IN Augusta may We'll feel that he can
spare bit of sympathy from his own
cVerWorked condition for his fellow
worker in the klondike, but all the
same he has miles of weary trudginp
ahead of him. long hours of wrestling
with innumerable bundles. The free
rural delivery carrier Is not so new at
his job that he doesn't know that he
himself and his horse will think the
days work never done more than once
in the next week
And all that Uncle Sam asks by way
OF return for all this is that those who
are pilin@ on his broad shoulders these
mountains OF indescribable parcels.
letters and packages, pay a sum for
hostage, sum SO small an GRAND boy
would sneer al il, that they plainly
address, and securely pack these vari-
Gus bundles. and if they are wise and
wish the mail returned in case of nom
delivery or something Of the sort that
they write the s=Iders name and ad-
dress up ir the left-hand corner So
simple, and Yet the number of those
Nho neglect these rudimentaiv precau-
ions is legion.
For such and for all VINO arc occa-
Sicnally forgetful il may be >tcll t. re-
peat a little information commonly
known but not rarely overlooked.
For instance if you write anything
in the nature of a communication a.d
enclose il with printed matter or mer-
chandiSe. someone, either You or the
party 10 whom ii may be addresstd d
must pay letter rates IN the entire
bundle, that is cents fur very ounce
and fraction of an ounce it weighs.
Then if You are sending tnird- or
fourth class matter and don't put
enough stamps upon it, the package
simply lies in the office where you put
il until someone pays enough postage
t. send it along.
II is Well too. to bear in mind that
the government is very strict in the
matter of securing secrecy to all who
send sealed mail So il your string
about a package of merchandise is
pasted over in such n way that it can
net be readily united and the package
he opened without tearing the wrapper.
it will be charged with letter rates.
Remember also it is just as much the
clerks duty to open and examine the
mail sent at unScaled rates as il is not |
to open the matter that is sealed
Furthermore. a parcel is rated ac- |
cording tp the highest ratablc class of |
matter contained therein. For instance |
calendars printed on paper are rated |
as printed matter, but calendars print |
ed on other material as merchandise |
suppose one of the latter kind We're |
enclosed with a lot Of the former kind |
Il would make the rating Of the entire |
bundle merchandise.
Under the head Of merchandise |
GOurth ClasSD one may mail all matter |
rot included under the other classes, !
provided it is such as will not destroy |
o, harm the other mail OF the persons !
handling it, The limit Of weight in |
this class is four pounds except in the
case Of single books.
Speaking in a general way it may be
said that If the sender does his part !
Uncle Sam will do his, also that his !
emploves are honest. capable and etii-
cient. otherwise their service will be |
extremely short lived. But if anyone |
has mail of especial value it is better !
to pay only s cents more and practi- |
callv insure it's delivery in safety. |
Moreover. if registered mail is lost the |
losar is reimbursed to the limit of 80. |