Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-12-26
1T MADE THEM HUMP.

The past week has been a very busy
one for employees in the local post office
and the mail carriers, even the rural
carriers getting their share of the work.
Usually near Christmas time postal en-
ployes notice change in the volume OF
mail handled, at least two weeks be-
fore Dec 25th This was true in Wau-
sau this year. Foreign born citizens
usually begin sending money or pres
ents to relatives or friends in foreign
countries several weeks before Christ
mas, so that the packages will reach
them in time. AS each day passes, up
to the day before Christmas. the busi-
ness at the post Office increases, until
clerks and carriers are 'sswamped'
with mail and worn out with work.
After the snow of Thursday some of
the carriers hauled hand sleds with
them on their trips, loaded down with
packages, in addition to well filed
sacks, and one meeting Fred MarGnardt
any of those days would have been con-
vinced that there is no myth about the
character of Santa Claus, but that the
old fellow had truly landed ahead of time
in Wausau. The carriers are entitled to
an increase in salary during the Christ
mas rush, and perhaps some day the
department will allow them few extra
sinners for this work A carrier
walks on an average of from fifteen to
eighteen miles a day, in covering his
route, but when he comes home at
night during Christmas week, after be-
ing loaded down all day with heavy
sacks of mail, he can hardly lift one
foot ahead of the other
In studying the post marks on pack
ages received here last week, it was
shown that Wausau citizens had been
remembered by people of the large cities
of the foremost nations of Europe, as
we'll as from nearly every town of any
importance in the United States and
Canada. Even Sing Ling, the laundry
man, got one from Yen Chou, China
and Tony Waters, the coachman of color
received one from Abyssinia.
1t is at Christmas time that the re-
ceipts of the post office greatly in
creases, from the sale of STAMPS and
money orders. The receipts of Uncle
Sam from ali over his domain at this
period must be enormous, and it would
be interesting to know the amount.
The handling of an increased number
of letters usually holds up for a week
after Christmas, which is accounted for
by the fact that recipients of packages
are sending back to the givers an ac-
acknowledgement of receipt of same, with
thanks. Then the business gets down
to its normal condition. 1t is well for
the postal employees that christmas
comes but once year"
1t is also at this season that express
messengers and drivers learn that life
is not all sunshine and roses. The mes
sengers running on trains on theLstley
division of the St. Paul and on North
western Ry's have strenuous time of
it during the open deer season, in
handling the carcasses of deer, and
just get time to catch their breath when
the holiday season, with its vast amount
of work, is upon them. 1t is then that
local agents have no time to answer
questions, and drivers get hump backed
delivering and collecting packages and
meeting trains. 1t is well for them
also that the fad of gift-giving seizes
people but once in an annual cycle.