Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-24
Familiar Scenes.

In the stores it was the same old sight
so familiar to late Christmas buyers, but
for some reason the utterly tired-out ap-
pearance of salesgirls on former Christ
mas ewes was lacking last night. Per-
haps 1t was due to the early shopping
crusade Of the past month.
Most Of the stores seemed stripped to
the bone, especially in the candy and
toy departments. The children of the city
will fare well indeed from all indica-
tons.
The markets were the places to find
the real Christmas spirit With their
great piles of beef and mutton, wreathed
with decorations Of holly and green stuff,
the markets were the veritable duplication
OF Christmas good things to eat. Turkey
stands We're mobbed last night and good
turkeys at 20 cents a pound went as fast
as the busy clerks could weigh them.
Many market man had sold his turkeys
long before the crowd had ceased to look
for them.
Outside the markets the holly and
spruce tree stands did a thriving business
1t was no small task to penetrate the
crowds around these little stands. Old
colored mammies with Virginia moss and
green's and mistletoe for sale had no
difficulty in selling them, and sat amid the
remains of their stock, with CHEEKY fires
burning In tin wash boilers. Spruce trees
were selling from quarter up. and holly
went for any price the buyer would give.
Prompt Delivery of Mail.
BY the adoption of several new ideas
in the distribution Of mail and by the
hearty cooperation Of the entire post
office force. regulars as well as extras
and substitutes. the usual congestion of
Christmas mail this year has been wholly
avoided. and Washingtonians may rest
assured that II their Christmas letters.
cards or parcels were mailed in time thew
will be delivered before Christmas day
closes.
For the first time in the history Of the
Washington post office we are up with
the game" said Postmaster Merritt last
night There is no accumulation of I'M
handled mail either incoming or outgoing
such as has been the case in former
years. We are up with our work ALI
the heavy Christmas mail has been and
Is being handled as rapidly as it comes
into the office, and We are cleaning up
the days work each day-none is left
over to be handled later"
Postmaster Merritt this year ADOPTED
the plan of having mail matter sorted by
blocks, instead Of in the usual manner
For instance. all the letters for the SOC
block on l. street northwest were punched
packages. and SO on. The packages
loaded into wagons. were taken to the
proper blocks dumped on the ground on
big tarpaulins spread for them and dis
tributed from the points where they were
dumped. Inexperienced men could be
, used in the distribution under this plan
and the work OF delivering the mail has
been immensely facilitated.
Accumulation Prevented.
At o'clock last night the racks and
sorting tables in the city post office were
| running clear. There was no accumula.
| ton whatever. The outgoing mail, all
| there was OF 1t not yet sent out, filed
| three sacks. and these were ready to 60
In the place where. at this season, a huge
pyramid OF sacks containing incoming
mail has been on the floor not a single
| sack was to be seen: everything had been
handled. The carriers racks were clear
and the work in the entire big room was
running as smoothly as If the day wa.
| just an ordinary one, instead of a day be-
! fore Christmas.
And 1t isn't only In the city Office thai
| this condition exists" said Mr.. Merritt
| 1t Is just the same in all the stations
We are clear up with the work all owe
| town, and it is the first time in the his
| tory OF the Washington post Office tina,
this has occurred. Proud Of it? / cues,
| We are"
Increase in Christmas Mail.
The increase in both incoming and ont
gong mail this year over last year 1,
approximately Is per cent, which, Post
master Merritt stated, is about the nor
NAL year-to-year increase. The figure.
for four-day periods OF 1910 and 1911 are
Outward-bound mails. 1910, 1917 sacks
containing 292,65O packages; outward
bound, 1911. 1874 sacks, containing 3Js
$50 packages; inward-bound mails 10
1910. $50 sacks containing 242, 800 pack
ages; 1911, 7.4SO sacks. containing ga. al
packages.
Delivery Of Mail Today.
Another "frst-time-tried" tnnovat;o
this year will be the delivery of mail 10
day. Extra men and substitutes, witt
extra teams and wagons. will be used
and all the mail received in Washinxto,
up to afternoon will be delivered TO-DAY
Authorization has been given to the post
masters in all the large cities to follow
this plan, which will make II possible Z
keep up with the work in all the i'm
portant offices OF the country and &
handle all Christmas mail promptly o.
time.