The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-01-10
PARCELS POST is POPULAR
Department Stores and Wholesale
Houses Largest Patrons.


Portland - Millinery in boxes as
large as the law allows promises to
cap the list of popular eligibles under
the new parcel post law, but Milady
had better warn Mr.. Milliner to be
sure that the receptacles for the
aigretted headgear are sufficiently
strong. Otherwise, with all the care
and caution that Uncle Sans mail
clerks may take the chapeaux are like
ly to issue from their parcel post Jour-
news bedraggled or smashed.
This is the warning that postal ON
cials in Portland are sending out after
the second days wrestle with the IN
novation, when the local office almost
became swamped with the rush OF bus
mess.
The fact is that the Portland post
Office on the second day of parcel post
traffic found itself extending its quar-
tiers almost into the streets in order to
take care of the business, which, 1T is
coniectured, is only hint at the bust
ness to follow. The dozen sacks OF
parcels received from out of town
points and the Is sacks which were
mailed in Portland fairly flooded the
section set apart in the local office and
a big overflow encroached on other de-
partments. The indication is that an
additional nearby building will be
needed to handle the business inside OF
few weeks when the traffic is reg
| ,,lor opd established
Somewhat to stem the rush the
authorities have asked that special de-
livery stamps not be placed on the
parcels for time, or until the service
is thoroughly organized to deliver hur-
riedly. All special stamps on parcel
mail will be ignored for the present.
One thing is plainly certain: The
big department stores, the mall-order
houses and the wholesale houses are
going to take liberal advantage of the
service. One department store mailed
more than $50 packages. Another
sent about 100 and third mailed
more than SO. Most of them were
sent to nearby towns.
AS the government restricts only
such articles as always have been I'M
mailable from passing through the
parcel post office, almost every legiti-
mate article of commerce already has
been sent. The favorite commodity is
millinery and the department stores
are the senders.
The postoffice attaches fear that the
millinery vendors use too fragile ma
terial in packing All packages are
placed in pouches and sealed the same
as regular mail. They are loaded onto
wagons, sacks upon one another and
packages in the sacks underneath, un-
less they are securely packed, are apt
to become broken. Such things as
millinery and eggs should be well
protected, therefore, advise postal
clerks.
1t is common thing to mail eggs,
now that the parcel post has been
established. Eggs are not considered
freak shipments. In fact, regular
traffic in eggs is expected. Enter.
prising farmers near Portland are
striving already to build up regular
trade with customers in the city, send
ing eggs and other farm products
through the mail. A new field has
been opened to inventors. They are
trying now to devise light, strong
box of aluminium or other material,
especially for mailing eggs.
Ordinary perishable goods such as
fruit, vegetables, fish and meat can be
sent by parcel post within the zone Of
origin, or radius of about so miles
A man in Eastern Oregon had five
pounds of beefsteak sent from the
butcher shop in nearby village tx
his home by parcel post.