The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-12-25
Million Christmas Pack
ages Sent From New York.
Number Greater by Eight Per
Cent Than Last Year.
THEIR VALUE is LESS.
Due to Lower Prices and More
Careful Buying.
Packages Received From Abroad
Number "a, ZOO.

| New York, Dec. 25.-It is estimated
| that during this Christmas there have
! been 3,S40,000 parcels shipped out of the
| city by mail and express. Exact fig
ures are, of course, unobtainable but
these figures based on estimates made
| at the postoffice and the express offices
| are thought to be approximately cor
| rect. The value of the packages sent
| by express, where values were given is
said to be about s7,4OO,00O. The number
of packages sent out of the city this
year is about per cent greater than
last year, while it is estimated that
the value is 10 per cent less. This de-
crease in value is said to be due to the
fact that goods are cheaper this year
I and that people are more careful in the
expenditure of money. New York al
ways gives more than it receives and
1t is estimated that not more than l.
100000 parcels have been received.
Next to the postoff1ce and the ex-
press offices the busiest places during
the past few days has been the Gus
toms appraisers warehouses. Here all
thep ackages received by parcels post
from England and Germany are exam
ined for dutiable articles. Up to last
and when the tired examiners were
forced to stop work last night nearly
1000 packages were left on the tables
unopened. Many of these will be days
to whom they are addressed in various
parts of the United States.
Christmas is being celebrated in great
style on board the ships in harbor- The
giant Mauretania is wreathed with hoi-
ly and other Christmas green from
stem to stern, and a great feast will be
sent for the crew at which each sailor
or other enploye will have a bottle of
beer as an extra, more than 900 bottles
of beer in all. The Baltic of the White
Star line and the New York of the
American line also in port, are decora-
ted with holiday wreaths and other
decorations and special dinners will be
served the crews.
The Christmas rush at the New
York postoffice yesterday was unpre-
cedented, The business transacted
was almost twice that of December "a
a year ago. Nearly ten million postal
cards were mailed during the day and
when the night force went to work at
O'Clock the receipts for postage
stamps had run over $4,000.
The postmaster has arranged for
wagons to carry it and they will make
two deliveries this morning.
Helen Gould as Santa Claus.
New York, Dec. 25.-In almost ev-
cry tongue 1900 immigrants wished a
Merry Christmas to Miss Helen Gould
at Ellis Island. Miss Gould presided
at the festivities which followed
bounteous dinner served to the pros
pective citizens who happened to be
held at the immigrant station on the
island. There were several big beau
tifully decorated Christmas trees, and
each man, woman and child received
a carnation from Miss Gould while
all the children were given toys and
candy. From the smiles and the
laughter that filled the big buildings
the first Christmas in America was
appreciated by all of those who have
been temporarily halted on the bound
ary of the land of their choice. All
the interpreters on the island were
called into service to translate the
words of greeting which passed be-
tween Miss Gould and her guests, and
only one, boy, from Thibet, was not
understood. Not one of the interpre-