The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1917, 1914-12-29
ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF
MAIL MATTER HANDLED
IN EXCELLENT STYLE.
DONE ON TIME.
Seemingly Impossible Task
Performed by a Faithful
Postoffiice Staff.

0tcAAs
No review of Christmas in Anderson
would be complete or fair without
mention of the very important part
p,ayed by the postoffice employees i'll
contributing to the success of the oc-
casion. While some have taken no
tice of this fact, there are but few
ncop,e in the city and county whose
Measure was not made the greater by
reason OF the excellent service rem
dorcd by Postmaster John X. Coch-
ran,s ,oyal and efficient staff of help
ers.
The truth of this would be far more
convincing could the people Of Ander-
son hut have taken one look into the
postofficc matter 1t was scIht 10
staggcr any set OF postoffice en,-
plcyces in the country which met tho
ewes of the clerks and carriers last
Friday morning. Actually. there were
wagon loads of mail matter brought
| into the office for delivery. To have
worked" that amount of mail and de-
liver It in one day of fair weather
would have been tremendous task,
hut to clear the postofficc by deliver
ing that much mail matter in such
weather as that which existed Friday.
seemed at first an impossibility.
4 IIerculean Task.
But with determination that no
obstacle could have overcome, these
loyal men set to work to perform what
the average men fouli pronounced an
impossible tar. The result OF their
/ efforts was til / when dark came no
one single piece of mail matter, except
that which was put in lock boxes,
was left In the postoffice. In addi-
tton, the postofflce was as clean and
tidy as though 1t had never been used
at all. One looking at the interior Of
that building Friday morning and Sec
ing It that night would scarcely have
believed his own eyes.
Due a Holiday.
1t should have been said in tho out
set that Friday was n legal holiday.
and the city carriers and the clerks Of
the postoffice were entitled to u holii-
day. But not single man once
thought OF taking the day oil. or even
a part OF II. In fact, Postmaster
Cochran has never observed the legal
holidays. Instead. they did the hard
est days work In the history OF the
! Anderson postoffice. Too much could
not be said in praise OF the city car
riera. for on their shoulders fell q
burden that would have been impossi-
bio Of performing by many. In n driv-
ing rain and through streets that were
veritable quagmircs tho city carriers
! plodded throughout the miserable day.
making two complete rounds md de-
| liyering every piece of mail matter
that was to be delivered.
Rural Carrief5's Task.
| Despite the fact that they were ac-
tualiy sick, suffering with la grippe
and high fever. two or more of the
employees refused to leave their posts
OF duty when Postmaster Cochran
suggested that they do SO. Thcy
stuck to the respective posts End
toiled away Until the last piece of mail
matter had been properly disposed OF.
So heavy was the mail to be deliv-
cred In the city that two extra car
Iriers, Marshall II. Gaillard and F.: C.
1 iMcCants,. who are postoffice clerks
were transferred to this service. So
burdensome was the incoming mail
that 1t was necessary for the railroad
to put two dray wagons into service
between the depot and postoffice in
stead of the usual one. And mo man
worked more faithfully than e. B. L.
;Graddtck. the veteran carrier Of mali
TO and from the postoffice to the
depot. to make the Christmas handling
o. mail a success. Mr.. Graddick is EN-.
ployed by the railroad. He is. an old
soldier, but his years affected In nc
way his ability to do as much work
as tho youngest man in tho service,
| Heaviest Mails Ever.
In speaking OF the matter yesterday
POSTMASTER Cochran stated that the
Christmas parcel post mail this yeal
was estimated az being from three Il
five times as much as that handled last
Il Christmas. .5i g 4,
This fact is most probably due L
the general public having become bet
ter educated to the advanta Ses of III,
parcel post as q medium for trans
porting their packages, The straight
mail matter was many times heavier
thnn: that OF last year. and the entir,
lamount'of mail was the heaviest in th,
history OF the Anderson postofiiss..ll .
Many patrons on the city routes
were appreciative Of the good worl
i dono by the carriers and rememberat
{ them In various ways. Some patron,
made the carriers nice presents. wbtl,
/ 3others invited them In sstc have \ no
coffee At5 Christmas dalicacies. Il m
Postmaster Cochran.
| rs Not only was the niain postoftte
kept busy throughout the week. hnts,
Ifnshing buainesa was done al, sub-sta
ttOn No. =, at the, Orc Gray Drug Ctni
/ lpany. Postmaster Cochran estimate
that the amount OF bnsiRess q ne d