The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-22
MAIL AND EXPRESS
 UNCOMMONLY HEAVY
Additional Clerks Employed to
 Handle Holiday Business
GREAT RUSH YESTERDAY
Express Go. Trying to Prevent Con. gestion-HoIiday Deliveries Sun day-Such Deliveries to Be
 Made in All Large Cities.

Although the holiday business is being felt at the postoffce, there has been no congestion of mail matter thus far.
 The rush started yesterday. but with the additional clerks who were put on duty early in the week the mail was handled with dispatch. The registry de- partment was kept busy all day and up to g o'clock last night and those employed An the money order department had their hands full also. For the benefit of those who have packages to mail in the ordi- mary way a clerk has been placed in the lobby of the postoffice, where pack ages can be weighed and stamps pur- chased. This has been done to relieve the congestion at the stamp window and has proven a great convenience.
 It was stated yesterday by the post office authorities that the volume of mail matter handled so far this week has been far greater than for the same period last Christmas. The heaviest business will be recorded today and tomorrow. The burdens of the carriers who start on their rounds in Birmingham every morning will give some idea of the amount of matter that is being received at the local office. Yesterday all the carriers were loaded down with special mail and had to, work overtime to complete their deliveries. 2 Express Matter.
 The Southern Express company is com- ing in for its share of the holiday busi- ness, and John H. Ham, the local agent, stated last night that the amount of ex- press already handled was the largest in the history of the Birmingham office Not only hs the record been broken for the amount of matter received for dis tribution in the city and vicinity, but a the packages being sent from Birming- ham aggregate in magnitude more traffic than was ever handled out of the city The regular men and extra force of clerks are scarcely capable of handling it. The office was crowded all of yesterday with anxious people, either looking for packages or sending matter away.
 The delivery wagons were on the go constantly from early in the morning until late at night Yesterday was the beginning of the holiday business proper for the express company, and the re- mainder of the week will tax the company to it's utmost, according to the indica- tlons yesterday.
 Sunday Delivery.
 MT. Ham stated last night that the office would be open Sunday the entire day If all the express has not been delivered or called for on Christmas day the office will remain open. Otherwise it will be closed at noon. It Is understood that all the delivery wagons will be put an service Sunday and packages will be de- 1ivered the same as on any other day. This custom is observed by the company in every city in the country of any conse- Quence where it has offices. Sunday work is considered necessary on account of most of the express being of a perish able character. Sunday will be the bis. day with the company, and the special deliveries will. MT. Ham thinks, be appre- ciated by the public. On some of the railroads the Southern Express company has been compelled to put on extra cars to handle the express and an additional force of helpers is necessary to accom- pany the messengers on the trips.