Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1909-12-23
ALL RECORDS BROKEN BY
RUSH OF CHRISTMAS MAIL
Packages Are Piled in Small Mountains at Local Postoffce,
While Hundreds of Thousands of Postcards Help Swell
the FlOod-Extra Work Swamps Force.

Never before in the history of the
Newark postofice has such a mass OF
mail matter as that now heaped up IN
every available foot of space in the
big building been handled by the local
postal force. During the last week
hundreds of thousands of postal cards
have gone through the office and at
the present ONE ANY thousands
are stacked pile upon pile awaiting
sorting and delivery. Packages by the
hundred are stacked ON the sorting
tables Notwithstanding the rapidity
with which they are handled, and
with each collection additional minia-
ture mountains of bundles are formed.
Despite the immense amount of mail
on hand the force now engaged on the
work has beer exceptionally successful
in getting the matter out on time.
Nearly four hundred men are on duty,
including forty extras" Every clerk
in the sorting department is putting in
on an average four hours a day over
time, and together with the extra help
the mail has been sent out earlier than
in any previous year.
The corridor of the postofice is
crowded uncomfortably all day and we'll
llllO tue hight. several large man
boxes have peer placed in the corridor
for the accommodation of the crowds
and so quickly are they filled that a
large mail truck LOAF is collected every
twenty minutes.
Although the carriers are by law pro-
hibited from working overtime they
receive their share of the crush in the
exceptionally heavy loads they carry
out.
Early last night stacks were piled
tier upon tier in every department of
the sorting division. and the night shift
faced e stupsndous task in clearing the
mail for delivery. Improvised tables
made Of horses and boards needed for
the work choke all passageways in that
portion of he building.
The inquiry division. Familiarity
known as the postal undertaking es-
adjustment" is inundated with thou
sands of letters, packages, postal cards
and other material. which for various
reasons cannot be sent to their destina-
tions. Between four and five thousand
postal cards bearing their messages Of
| Christmas cheer are daily sent to the
dead letter Office because of objection
| able tinsel. The law requires hat cards
with amy sort of tinsei or decorating
material liable ito injure the hands of
clerks be enclosed in a sealed envelope.
This provision accounts for the greater
majority of the postals sent back 10
Washington.
Extra wagons on the collection routes
are in daily use. The four independent
sub-stations, Belleville, I~rvington, Nut
ley and Harrison. employing their own
forces of clerks and carriers, are
sharing equally in the rush with the
main office. AS much aid as possible
has peer lent them by the Newark
Office, and they nave succeeded in keep
ing well abreast of the tide of mail up
to the present time.
The registry department is equally
rushed. An extra room on the third
floor of the building has been set aside
for sorting the mali from this depart
ment.
Because of the extra pressure of bust
ness in all departments and the conse-
quent necessity of shifting clerks, the
statistics of the amount of money sent