Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-12-19
UNCLE SAM AS SANTA CLAUS
To Have Busy Week, He and His
Many Helpers.


The prenlonitOry package has arriv.
ed at the postolfice, the first Of the leg.
ION OF Christmas mail pieces to follow
and everybody is of the opinion thai
the record will be broken this yea.
Uncle Sam is not easily Mustered. What
with steam and electricity to help
thousands of nimble and willing hands
IN every part of the great postal Ser
vice awaiting the call. he stands read,
to do the public's bidding promptly
and well, whether by dog train in ia,
Alaska. by rural relivery direct To tn
home Of THE country dweller or bv c;t>
carrier 20 the city residence.
Already men have been assigned Il
extra work on every postal car and If
every rostoffice. And it is a fact the
men seldom grumble because of over
work during the holiday season. I'll.
atmosphere of good will and cheer is
infectious and grazing. Yet the publi5
may help the good work along BY re-
memberinr 4 few wrll-knOWn fact :
Nearly everyone knows how to send
mail. Of course they do. Yet as a ma; :
Ter OF fact nearly everyone is liable "a
make mistake or to have moments
Of forgetfulncSS.
1t hardly seems possible that intelli-
gent people would commit a parcel to
the viciSyitudeS through which it must
pass without securely wrapping an
tying il and without properly address
ing il and also stating thereon the al
Dress of the sender. And yet the num-
bel Of those who do is legion.
Last year 4 big package was mailed
ut the Augusta Office bearing the req
uisite stamps but no address or ca"G
inside or outside. absolutely nothing
by which it might be identified. 1t
contained several quite valuable arti-
cles. To send to the dead letter ut
Washington would not help for as yet
neither the postal service nor the eX-
81 eSs companies have been able to sue
cessfully employ telepathy or clair
voyance in solving such riddles: those
may come with postal air ships sailing
overhead and dropping Christmas gifts
down the chimneys. And yet after
long delay the package was delivered.
How few, accustomed as they are to
the mail service. realize its vast extent.
surprising that Of any other distrib-
utins service in the world and combin-
ing safety with dispatch. not only
from city to city hut from hamlet to
hamlet. TO the farthcst country cross
roads, all for q few cents in postage.
Then if you wish extra precautiOn
there is the registering by every clerk
through whose hands the mail passes.
all of which you can have by paying
only eight cents, even though the mail
is going thousands of miles and
through hundreds; of hands.
Perhaps You are late and wish to
secure the quickest possible delivery.
For ten cents additional you have the
assurance in a special delivery stamp
that the mail on reaching the office of
destination will Immediately be sent
out to the addrcssee by special mes
scnger.
a moments thought will suffice to
convince you it is WiSeSt to prepay the
full amount of postage rather than in
cur the risk that the package will be
held somewhere awaiting full payment.
Perhaps thinking you had paid the
proper amount, third class tWo ounces
for Il cent? or fourth class "a cent an
OUNCE you overlooked the fact that a
label or anything pasted over the
string about the package Will make it
first class. subjected tn postage ut the
rate of two cents an ounce or fraction
thereof. Or possibly without thinking
You have written something inside in
the nature Of personal corrcSpon-
dcncp. which will also make it first
class.
Classes other than first are supposed
to have upon the outside or inside only
so much writing as will plainly show to
whom the package is going and from
whom it was sent. If it be a book or a
picture it will be permissible to write
on one Of the leaves or on the back Of
the picture simple manuscript dcdi-
cation or inscription not of the nature
of personal correspondence.
1t is not as difficult to correctly mail
anything YOU wish as you will always
find courteous clerks expecting to an
SWcr all sorts of questions and ready to
do so. Also you will find during the
evenings just before Christmas every
facility for as quick a dispatch Of bust
ness as is possible and an opportunity
to register mail however large the
crowd.
Manley II. Pike has sold a house lot
on CuShman street through the r, l.,