The Washington times., 1905-12-23
POSTOFF|CE'S
CHRIST MAS RUSH
No Holiday for the Mail
Carriers.
WILL DEVELOP A SYSTEM
Little Delay in Delivery of Packages.
Trouble With
Servants
WILL DEVELOP A SYSTEM

Beginning two days ago the annual
rush Of business resulting from the hoii-
day season began 10 be felt by the
delivery division of the city postoffice
Experience of past years has led the
officials to make special preparations
for the Christmas rush. and the system
now in vogue does away with all de-
lay or inconvenience In the delivery of
tie packages
Time was. when two or three days
before Christmas packages were piled
up by the thousands. and II was several
days after Christmas before everything
had been delivered. Now Congress al
lows the local office substitute carriers
for go days. Almost all of this time
is used during the holiday season. and
considerable OF the burden is taken of
the regular carriers.
Special Wagons Used.
Special wagons are making daily trips
10 the various substations throughout
the city and collecting the parcels depos-
tied there by the consignors and ;,Sstmen
This aids the mail carriers considerab bly,.
because if they had to carry their loads
TO one of the regular collection stations.
they would have time to do nothing else
Naturally. some trouble is experienced
from this annual rush of business. One
of the greatest sources of trouble is
dishonest servants The new men not
being familiar with the route take the
mail TO what they suppose the correct
address. Often they are in d strange
part of the city and get on wrong
street. Sometimes the party has moved,
but has not advised the delivery division
of the postoffice- When the servant
answers the bell and finds that the post
man has a package, which gives every
evidence of being a Christmas present.
she is often tempted TO take Il and
appropriate the article for her own use.
Once inside the house the package is
gone for good and there is practically
no means by wkich IL can be recovered.
Realizing the trouble arising from
these causes, Postmaster Merritt has
issued special order to the substitute
carriers TO exercise every precaution
while on the routes
Sunday Deliveries
All day tomorrow the substitute men
viii make deliveries. In the morning
the Office will be open at the regular
time, and in the afternoon the regular
men Till make one trip. Christmas viii
be no holiday for the mail carriers; in
fact. everyone connected with the de
partment viii have one of the busiest
days Of the year
One os the difficulties the postoffice
has to contend with the last few DAYS
before Christmas is something which
outsiders would never imagine could
possibly affect the service In discuss.
ing the matter this morning one of the
officials said:
Every year there are thousands OF
people In this city who make up their
minds not TO send presents TO certain
people. whom they have been remem-
herring In years past A day or two be
fore Christmas. however. they receive a
GIT from this marty. and will immed-
iatelv rush downtown to purchase q
present In return. They will have the
article done UP hurriedly at the store
I ney VIII not bother to write the name
legibly. and usually in their hurry they
neglect to put the right amount o,
stamps on IL. and will toss il into the
box in no condition TO go through tn,
mails
"The number OF these package,
mounts up in the thousands. and
think without exception II is the hard
est work of all for the men to handle
this 'tail-end' stun.
Do Not Complain.
The Christmas spirit seems 10 pre-
vadc this Office every year. and. despit
the fact that the men are almost rush
ed TO death for a few days. they d
not complain. Somehow they seem [,
realize that this last bunch is not sen
IN the true Christmas spirit
The letters addressed 10 Santa Clau
stil continue to pour into the office
They are turned over to :..ss1 dead lette
office.