Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-19
SHOPS ARE CROWDED
Christmas Gift Buyers Out in
Full Force Today.
RECORD BEING MAINTAINED
Post Office and Substations Begin
ming to Feel Effects of Rush.
SHOP EARLY CRY uNHEEDED
Express Companies Handling Bust
ness Expeditiously, But Crush Is
Expected by Saturday.
RECORD BEING maintained
SHOP EARLY" CRY uNHEEDED

Clearing skies. touch of frost in the
brisk breeze that swept over the city
from the northwest. brought Christmas
shoppers out in full force today, and the
early hours of the forenoon found stores
and shops of all kinds crowded with buy
ers bent on spending all-and a little bit
more than-they could afford on holiday
remembrances to friends acquaintance.
relatives and those who may soon be-
come relatives The young man looking
for something that she will appreciate;
the older man who wants something for
mother and the youngsters; little folks
spending their dimes and quarters on
gifts for mamma and dad, sister or
brother: the sweet young thing purchas-
ing impossible ties and silk hose of Won
derful hues for the One Young Man. and
the grand dame. with her almost limtlesS
checkbook or charge account. ordering
her gifts by the score or the hundreds of
dollars worth--all these, and more. shop
ped today. And when evening comes,
what hosts of tired salespeople will wear
lily drag themselves homeward thankful
that Christmas comes but once year!
Buying UP to General Average.
The shop early slogan, according to
Washington merchants, has not reduced
the volume of Christmas buying to any
appreciate extent, and tine glorious
weather that has prevailed during the
greater part of the late autumn and early
winter has had no Ill effect on the gen.
eral trade. Indeed, merchants of the city
express the belief that the aggregate of
holiday merchandising in Washington
this Christmas season will at least reach,
if 1T does not surpass. the mark set by
any preceding Christmas. In some lines
the unseasonably warm weather has
caused some dullness of trade. but the
increase in other lines, the merchants
say, will be sufficient to bring the gen.
eraI average up to a satisfactorily high
mark.
Yesterdays fOggy, muggy, driZZly
weather was not sufficient to put a damp
on the shopping ardor OF the WASH
ington public. and in spite of the dis
agreeable day the downtown shops. from
the ten-cent stores up, were crowded all
day with moist, steamy. preoccupied hu-
mainly bent on spending money Mer-
chants said today that they expect tine |
general rush to set in today or tomorrow
Shop Early Slogan Unheeded.
You may preach shop early all YOU |
want to" said one merchant this morn |
ing, "but there will always be thousands
of persons who put off their Christmas
shopping until the last moment. Many of
these defer their buying because they |
have to-they haven't the money with
which to shop early But others delay
lust because they are built that way. |
They can't make up their minds to get
out and buy the things they want until
the calendar tells them that day after
tomorrow is Christmas. Then they mock
down town in hundreds, paw over what
is left after the early shoppers have
taken the pick of everything. get In
panic for fear they will not be able to
get what they want, make things Sener- |
ally disagreeable for clerks, t1oorwalkers
and everybody in the place. and go home |
vowing to do their shopping early an |
other year. But they never do.
The post office and its various substa-
tions are beginning to feel the effect OF
the Christmas rush. and the volume of in
coming and outgoing mail Is increasing
hourly, officials say. No congestion has
occurred as yet, of course, but WITHIN
day or so the extra clerks and all other
classes of post office employees will be
working up to their limit to handle In
an expeditions manner the tremendous
accumulations of mail of all classes that
the Christmas season always brings.
Confused as to Parcel Post.
Officials of the post office say much
eraI public in regard to the parcel post.
many persons being under the impress
sion that the parcel post system is
now in effect and trying to send their
Christmas parcels through that channel.
The parcel post will not begin opera
tons until January I, 1913, just a week
too late for the Christmas business.
All the express companies operating
into Washington report that business is
being handled rapidly up to the present
time. Many persons in Washington ex-
pressed their Christmas packages to the
home folks week or more ago. and thus
helped to relieve the annual congestion of
outgoing express matter: while the folks
back home, in many other cases. took
time by the forelock and forwarded their
annual gift parcels in time TO have them
delivered several days before Christmas
The big rush is expected to set in by Sat
urday. the express companies officials
say, and from that time on life viii be
continual nightmare for the express
people until two three days after
Christmas.