New-York tribune., 1908-12-23
SANTA CLAUS RUSHED
NEW CHRISTMAS RECORD.
Neu York City NeUer Before Sa1c
Such a Holiday Business.

with eleven additional collecting sgons, inciuo-
ing four big furniture vans. one hundred vehicles
10 aid the carriers in distributing mail and ISo
additional carriers and clerks. the posto1ce IS ds-
posing of the greatest holiday business IN us ms
tory Night and day the employees now numbering
more than thirty-hve hundred men. are tolilng'
There was crowding and confusion in the IopoieS
Of the general postoffce and in the forty stauons
yesterday but within there was only apparent an
acceleraton Of action due to more than elgnl tioS
the usual work done.
Assistant Postmaster Murphy said yesterday ula'
in no former holiday season had the rush begun so
early This he attributed to the postmaster re-
quest to the public that Christmas PACKAGES 10
mailed early. Mr. Murphy said there ~oulo De Iio
congestion, at the big emergency fund woulo en-
able the postmaster to add to the number OF EN-
ployes and the hauling power OF the department.
whenever necessary.
Four stamp slot machines on the main floor OF
the general postoffce relieved the stamp seHeIs :.
some extent but there relief for the CLERKS
inside The money order department appaFeluS
was doing the biggest business in It's hs'oFS' on.
more registered letters were being sent OUT &c "a
ever before. To facilitate the work, men were sta
toned in the lobby TO direct persons to the IeaS'
congested windows The same practice was Iol-
lowed in the main Brooklyn office 49,,
The most striking feature of the WORK lnis @
wear" Mr.. Murphy said, "is the TREMENDOUS Noiuie u y
of picture postcards being sent out Millions
ves many millions Every man, woman and chic
in this borough seems to be sending several oI
these cards to relatives or friends and TINS duui
tionaI business is great work demanoer' - I
increased the pieces TO be handled at ieas' wv
fold
On Christmas Day there will be one delivery III
the wholesale business districts at a. m In the
residential sections there will be the usual '"V
holiday deliveries, carriers wherever heCeSS0i'
being aided by wagons in the distribution o.
packages The four furniture vans, each ca
nabIe Of carving four times the number OF SACKS
put in an ordinary mail delivery wagon VIII con
tinue right up to the last minute or the rush "
collect packages. The wagons used 10 carry O.9
nackaees and letters the railroads nave hao al
they, could stow away since last Friday, and more
wagons have been added by the contractor every
day. -
Greatest business have ever had was the
word passed out by the express company man
er.-s YESTERDAY They also had early start.
Postal nackaees and express bundles showed ths
liberal use of the Red Cross Christmas stamp, III
the lobby of the general postoftice Red cross
empIove had a booth for the sale Of these stamps.
Christmas shopping gave evidence on every hand
~ tho country's prosperity. There was not store
with holiday goods for sale that was not CROWDED
Yesterday. The downtown streets were hned WIN
havkers' carts and hawkers without carts Inc
restriction placed the hawkers is removed for
one month from December q, but they must get
the hermit of the property owner and the store
keeper before they can continue selling IN any oho
place They never get these permits
we've got tc keep them moving as much as
possible" patrolman said yesterday. but II We
do arrest them the ma gistrates won't hold them.
And the poor fellows should be allowed to make a
few dollars around Christmas, anyway But they
have no right Nassau, Fulton or Chambers street
nor IN Broadway, even though the restr1cuon mas
been raised: but what's the use?'
Some sections Of Nassau street yesterday resem-
bled Hester street at its busiest time John street
was II anything, little more crowded with carts
Fulton was lined east Of Nassau. and Ann street
woe .eethine nushcart territory. Grand Cana,
and the streets running north and south of the
East Side wore the holiday garb. If there was
poverty in that crowded district 1t was not fauntet
the streets
stores said that It was q record season Day after
day showed he said, that more business was being
done than before. THE record days began
week ago." he said. Since then we have made
comparisons right along. with the same showing
It Is not cheap rush. People have the money and
ere spending it right rovally. Nor Is there much
shopping as shopping The customer knoys what
he or she wants and pays the price, without sour
rying around among the stores
That was the report in every store IN the Toy
shops there was hardly standing room. The de-
mand was largely for mechanical toys There
were Teddy bears that could dance walk gaIlop
and be used for riding and lions that roared and
sta!ked majesticalIy Electric trains were staple.
So were fire engines and motors of all sorts. The
doll has come back TO favor but 1t must be of the
mechanical variety TO make real hit Next to the
TOW shops the greatest crowds were at the Christ
mas card counters
While the SAFE OF holiy' IhlSti7tOo anu Sii9i'Ao
trees has been large there has been falling on
since the insurance underwriters declared that
fires originating from them would not come under
the ordinary policies. There special policies
covering losses from this source. and many have
been taken out but It is not generally known that
they are necessary.
Over IN BROOKLYN there will be a sad Christmas q
for more than three hundred and fifty employees Of
the bureau of public buildings and Offices. who are
to he laid off for two weeks because Of lack Of
funds. and twenty-five women and nifty men win
not be taken back.
NAVY YARDS CHRISTMAS.