Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-23

| may be seen loaded down with bundles
on the way for more. or dragging weary
| limbs toward home, that the youngsters
| may not be disappointed
The ten-cent stores and the big depart
ment stores furnish examples of the
rush that would make the old-time
| football field feel sorry. The nice things
and the pretty things in the stores are
| disappearing from the shelves and coun-
| tiers and finding their way into the
| homes. into the mails and into the eX-
press offices. Big business by the buy
| ers this year ought to make many happy
| hearts somewhere.
Post Office Up to Time.
| The city post office corridors this morn
ing were filled with late buyers, anxious
| 10 get their packets off in the mails in
| time for Christmas day. At the stamp
| windows, at the mail chutes, in the reg
istry division and at the money order
counters folks were lined up waiting
their turn.
So great has been the increase in the
mails this year that Postmaster Mer-
rift has decided to have Sunday de-
livery of parcels after the window deliv-
cry Sunday morning at II O'Clock. When
it was proposed every man OF the car
riers' force cheerfully expressed his will
ingness to help out to that extent.
A year ago today the number of par
up approximately to $1,000 Today's rec
ord will largely surpass it. The receipts
of the post Office. which Postmaster Mer-
rift says Is an excellent index or us
| business, are fully 10 per cent greater
| than last year.
Yet the work is practically up-to-date.
Two months ago Mr.. Merritt began his
| plans for the rush ahead, and today ev-
erything is moving in the great workroom
| with regularity and precision as the re-
| suit of the system adopted.
| Every available device, human and me-
chanical. which is proper in post ONCE
of the first class has been pressed into
| service Fifty substitute clerks and forty
substitute letter carriers supplement the
| regular force
Postmaster Merritt says he proposes to
| into the office by Monday night. He
| wants to get every incoming Christmas
| gift in the hands of it's owner by Christ
| mas day, if possible. Outgoing mails are
keeping pace with those coming In.
| There is noticeable absence of Christ
mas post cards of the fancy variety this
year The gifts seem to have taken a
more substantial form.
Every Man Does His Duty.
Postmaster Merritt is loud in his praise
of the spirit manifested by his force.
Every man. he said, knows his duty and
is doing it well. 1t is only by such service
| that the postal needs of a great city can
be met at such time as this. He is
! confident his force will get through the
| rush without hitch or delay of any kind.
What is true at the post Office is true
as to crowds and business at the express
offices. All of them have been filled all
day long with members OF the last-min-
ute brigade" who yet want to get their
| gifts to their destinations before Christ
mas.
tits a great old world" said one of the
agents this morning You can't push it
along, and sometimes you can't coax it.
1t just moves in it's own old way. But
If things go wrong, oh, my, what kick
1t can raise.
AS early as a week ago Monday folks
who had things to go to the far west
commenced to do their shipping. Since
then the tide of shippers has grown daily.
There are boxes and bundles for all sec
tons of the country today. Many Of them
will not reach their destinations until
Christmas has become a memory only to
their consignees.
The express companies have branch
shipping points at many drug stores, where,
too, stamps are sold for mail packages.
All are doing rushing business.
Wagons Are Loaded Up.
The local delivery services are taxed to
their limit notwithstanding previous prep
arations for an extra amount of business
The world is going to have it's Christmas.
and everything must skew itself up to the
high power gauge to meet demands.
The dead letter office, too is busy. How
could it be otherwise when people at
tempt to do so much in such little time
Many a misdirected letter and package.
instead of gladdening the heart of the
person to whom it was sent, will find a
resting place in the mail morgue until q
post mOrtem examination discloSeS the
name and address of its sender, who for
got something when he or she mailed it.
Christmas Cheer for Poor.
Among the joys and happiness of Christ
mas the poor and friendless of Washing
ton are not to be forgotten. Officials of
public institutions who sacrifice their time
to aid the unfortunte will forego por-
ton of Christmas day enjOyments in their
homes and participate in the services at
the missions.
Coincident with the preparation of the
| more fortunate who are planning elabo-
rate celebrations for Christmas, the di-
rectors Of the Salvation Army are get
| ting ready to distribute 800 baskets of
food to destitute families who inhabit
dreary homes and novels.
Each basket will contain one chicken,
two cans of vegetables. one can of fruit
! potatoes. apples. one can of cream, one
| half pound OF coffee, one pound of sugar
| and several loaves of bread. The distri-
| button will begin at $50 o'clock tomorrow
| afternoon.
| Special religious services will be con-
Quoted at the main hall of the Institution
| Sunday afternoon and evening by AAjt.
NJ, Brazier. Next Friday evening the