Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1914-12-29
EXCELLENT SERVICE.

| The local post Office has done a
tremendous amount of work during
the Christmas holidays. 1t is signi-
ficant fact that the increase in per
cent of the mail handled this year
over that of last year is 25 per cent.
The number of sacks handled is 2,0l2
and 612 outside parcels of matter and
besid5s this, 1,452 insured parcels.
This large amount Of mail was han
died and distributed in the five days
of tie week up tc and including
Christmas. On the night before
Christmas every parcel or letter which
had been received in the office, prop
erly addressed and stamped, had been
delivered On account of the great
delay in the arrival of the North
Western afternoon trains some car
riers were obliged to complete their
delivery after dark, using pocket
flash lights to read the addresses on
the mail matter. This is the first
time in several years that the p O.
force has been able to deliver all mail
on hand, the day before Christmas.
The delivery was largely facilitated
by the addition of two motorcycle
trucks, which were used to deliver
the exceptionally heavy and bulky
packages and also to take reloads to
carriers out on routes, thus saving
the time necessary TO return to the
office for such load. Men with push
carts and large sleds were employed
TO accompany each carrier. This per-
mitted large number of parcels to
be handled by the carriers on their
trip.
The increase in the use of the in
sured tax is especially to be noticed
as it is so large. The small fee of five
cents for insuring packages in transit
and the readiness with which the
government has settled in case of loss
or damage has impressed the public
and the use of government insurance
on parcel post packages will undoubt-
edly increase still more in the future.
Very few damaged parcels were re-
ceived in the mails and considering
the large number handled the per-
centage of damage is probably smaller
than the damage to express packages
was during the Christmas rush. All
fragile packages are carefully handled
outside of the regular sacks and
marked gradual in order to assure
the utmost care and their safe arrival.
The carriers and clerks in the post
office are especially to be compli-
mented for the excellent service they
rendered to the people during the
rush of the Christmas holidays. They
were on duty from six O'Clock in the
morning until after dark every day
and each carrier took great pride in
being able TO clean up all Of his work
each day.
The Christmas day delivery at the
post Office was effected without the
usual delay and crowding. Hereto
fore the office has opened at a. m.
and the delivery windows have re-
NAMED open until J. p. m. but the
delivery was accelerated by removing
large panel between the work room
and the post Office lobby, thus enabling
from ten to fifteen people to be served
at one time where formerly but two
to three could be served. All patrons
were required during the rush to
enter the Office by the Fourth street
entrance and to leave by the Scott
street door after receiving their mail.
On account of delays of trains last
week the delivery at the window did
not start until 10 O'Clock, but, never
theless, all persons calling for their
mail chad received il by one in the
afternoon and the lobby was empty.
Rural deliverers made one regular
trip on Christmas day, thus getting
mail to people who would be unable
to reach the post Office on Friday IN
order to get their Christmas mail.
We think that Postmaster Thomas
Ryan deserves a great deal of praise
for his splendid management and
excellent system.