Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-12-13
IA RUSH IN MAILS
Christmas Boom is Felt at the
Rock island Post.
office.
MONEY GOES ACROSS THE SEA
From Relatives Who Have Cast Their
Future Here - Time to
Shop.

The advent of the Christmas season
is indicated in all departments of the
mail service by increased transactions
that grow IN proportion with the APP
proach of the holiday.
While the heavy rush Will not attain
its height until week before Christ
mas, the mails are becoming larger
every day Mail service officials pre-
dict that this holiday season of 1904
will be the busiest in years.
Just now the Christmas donor is con-
filming his attention to money orders
and registered letters. While the Holt
day is some days distant, there is none
too much time to be spared for those
who desire 10 forward money TO rela-
ives and friends as a Christmas pres
emit Gifts OF money are always ac-
|ceptable and appropriate and can come
lucky recipient.
Money To Foreign Lands.
Many hundreds of dollars are being
sent TO foreign lands through medium
of international money orders. The
reason is clear. when it is considered
that Uncle Sans drafts are not sub
ject to custom duties. Were one to
send some other sort of gift the Gus
tom inspector would pounce upon it
and exact his due
Although employees in the mail scrv-
ice are necessarily long suffering and
forever enduring. much worry and trou-
BILE may be avoided and the safety of
the Christmas parcel is assured if the
consignor will but exercise care in
wrapping and tieing. Use heavy pa
per and strong Irvine. In conspicuous
place write the address plainly and
legibly. And the mail service officials
will remember you in their prayers.
Retail dealers would like to relieve
their patrons from the inconvenience
of making their Christmas purchases
in the final rush which is inevitable in
a year when stocks were never so at
tractive. They would like to have
Christmas shoppers come early, both
for the advantage to their patrons and
through a desire to give good clerk
and delivery service.
Choice is BETTER.
Shoppers would get much better
choice of stocks and would be able to
move through the aisles more easily
and avoid the general annoyance of
struggling in a throng of Christmas
buyers if they would come early"
says the proprietor OF one of the
stores.
This expression is unanimous among
retail houses. Christmas stocks arriv-
ed about Dec. and are displayed ear
iy. IL stands to reason that the first
customers get first selection. Good
opportunities for selection, quick at
tention from clerks and quick deliv-
cries of the purchases are some of the
joys held out by the stores to the fore
handed shopper who finishes the bulk
of his buying early.
Uncertainty of Weather.
The uncertainty of the weather is
another argument advanced by the
storekeepers for early shopping. The
weather in December is capricious
Last week balmy breezes which make
good imitation of summer were blow.
ing and the weather was ideal for
buying round of the stores. This week
the temperature approaches the Ice
landic
One cause for the usual crowded
condition of the stores just before
Christmas is the influx of BUYERS
IRON out of town who have postponed
their coming until the last week of
the nIrrcba COCOON