Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-25
PARCEL POST CARRIERS
WILL NOT GET HOLIDAY
All Incoming Packages Will BE De-
livered To-Day II Within
Human Power.
BUSINESS IS UNPRECEDENTED
Twenty-Five Wagons Used in Garry
ing Christmas Gifts to People OF
Richmond-Nionthiy Deficit Wiped
Out Completely.

EssayinE tho role OF Santa Claus.
the parcel post carriers will work all
dag endcavoring to deliver the belatcd
Christmas gifts which reached here
last night. or will come In on the morn
Ing trains. The other carriers. how
ever will not make their rounds. but
mall Will be delivered on call between
the hours OF and II o'clock this
morning.
Yesterday saw the backbone of tho
outgoing mail break. but the incoming
malls were beyond anything ever seen
in this city. Literally there were noun
talns OF parcels stacked in the parcel
post temporary quarters on Cary street
waiting for distribution and delivery.
The main Moor OF the three floors used
for sorting the parcels was covered
with pieces OF mail OF various sizes.
and the large force OF clerks worked
at top speed getting them sorted for
tho carriers.
TWENTY-FIVE WAGONS AND
EXTRA CARRIESS At WORK
Twenty Ave wagons each made two
loads yesterday, making nearly 1902
pouncheB OF parcels delivered BY them.
In addition. l20 carriers were pressed
into the service to deliver parcels
along with their regular mail. The
amount was unprecedented. and only
FOR the extra precautions taken by
POSTMASTER Hay r Thornton and Su-
pcrintendent of Malls II. VI. Lnwder
the congestion would have assumed Sc
rious proportions, and many persons
would have been disappointed In the
failure OF their presents to arrive. AS
it is. there is an excellent chance for
the noors TO he cleared OF their bur
dtns before nightfall.
ON December ) the postal receipts
At the local Office were $1,000 less than
at the same period in 1918. Yesterday
afternoon AT o'clock this deficit had
been wiped out. and in the remaining
hours OF the day tidy surplus was
uoted. December will probably show
an increase. which will be the first in
three months.
AUTOMOBILES PROVE
D FINESTIMABi.E SERVICE
Much OF the excellent results OBJ
taincd by the local office in caring for
the holiday rush was due to the in
s;allation Of automobiles In the co!!cc-
twn service These speedy machines
KEEP; down the congestion In the sub
stations. and aided the dispatchnS
force to get cleaned up on each days
work before mall began TO pl. up on
them.
There was on. branch Of the local
service winch dad ycoInan service. ana
that was the parcel post terminal,
which handled all parcels consigned in
bulk for North Carolina, South Caro-
lima and Virginia. More than 1900
pouches were received yesterday. Fac
OF these had to be cmpticd. the pack
ages sorted and rcconslgncd to their
points OF destination. All of this work
was done In the basement OF the post
office building.
Postmaster Thornton said yesterday
that he had not thought, the business
this year as heavy as last year until
he saw the tigurcs reported by Cashier
Melton. The fact that incoming parcel
post was handled In an outside build
ing made the volume look smaller but
" II had been brought to the main
building ii would have been impos-
sihle TO handle the Christmas rush at
all