Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-25
Nearly 500, 600 Pieces Distrib-
uted, Beating Records.
CLERKS KEPT ON JUMP
Sacks Come Into Post Office at Rate
of 125 an Hour.
DELIVERY TO BE MADE TODAY
Carriers Will Start Out at IL
o'Clock-Express Companies
Taxed to Utmost

Nearly 10000 pieces of MAI. matte
were delivered yesterday 20 residents Of
the District To be more exact. 45o,,D'
pieces is the conservative estimate. o.
these $4,000 were Packages. probabiH
Christmas presents: a quarter OF a mil
lion were letters and 1900 were pictul,-
post cards carrying in one form or anoth-
er the same little message OF a Merry
Christmas. Since the last delivery yes
terday the packages have been pouring in
At one time they came at the rate OF
about 125 sacks an hour. At 9 O'Clock
last night they decreased 20 about lov
sacks.
Under the glare OF the incandesceni
mercury lights the clerks OF the city post
Office in the delivery section worked anu
worked at the incoming volume OF mail
Just before midnight it was estimated
that probably 10 large sacks OF package
mail were ready to be routed by the
carriers when they reported for duty thu
morning.
The greater part OF this immense vol
ume of mail. exceeding by far the high
est record of the office i'm the past, Will
be delivered at the IL o'clock special de-
livery this morning. 1t will he impos-
sible to deliver il All. But the remainder
will get to those for whom II is intended
in the early morning delivery tomorrow.
Flood of Post Cards.
Packages for apartment houses and
hOtels-and there are untold numbers OF
them-were thrown into mail sacks
labeled to the house or hotel and thus
eliminated from those that had to be
assorted by the carriers. Post cards msde
their appearance i'm great numbers yes
terday and last night, but they were
cards for delivery in Washington. Th-
outgoing cards, letters and packages fcil
of wonderfully ABOUT ) o clock last even
ing, although at a late hour there were
enough to keep twenty men going at toy
speed. Fifteen hundred special delivery
letters was the record of the quick de-
livery service by thirty-seven boys yes
terday. Some of the boys. at the Zee
allowed them, made So. working twelve
hours to the day.
At y o'clock last night there We're three
large sacks containing post cards for de
livery at the Capitol station OF the posi-
Office and containing about $1,000 cards.
These, being less important than the
packages and letters, Will be delivered
at the window delivery by carriers this
morning and by the early delivery by car
riers tomorrow morning.
All Records Surpassed.
Yesterday and Friday the volume of in
coming mail exceeded that Of any pre-
ytous period in the history of the office.
Postmaster Merritt has had his entire
available force going day and night 10
keep up with the work. Last year the
force numbered 40 clerks. 800 carriers
and forty substitute carriers. This year
it had to be increased to 100 clerks, 81
carriers and forty substitute carriers. *
though the increase in force did not bea;
it's fair proportion to the increase In tn.
volume of the mails.
From O'Clock yesterday afternoon an
til midnight, thirty clerks were cnsas.d
and from midnight until O'Clock tni,
morning a similar number of clerks. but
many of them overlapped in service, a
1t is called, and put in fourteen hours
to their day. Today at IL O'Clock the
whole force Of the regular carriers an
substitute carriers. supplemented by the
entire force of the mail collectors. viii.
make the great package delivery-per-
haps the greatest ever attempted in locs.
mail circles. The forty substitute car
riers will make package deliveIieS
throughout the entire day, supplementing
the ii o'clock delivery. Even the sub
Stitute clerks will be employed to de-
liver parcels today. Postmaster Merritt
aim has been and still is TO get every
thing in shape of a Christmas presen.
into the hands Of the person for whom IL
is intended during the day.
Express Companies Rushed.
to have increased in pretty much the
same proportions as at the post office.
Adams Express Company's Office report