Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1914-12-24
CHRISTMAS SPIRIT SHOWN
IN CITYS CROWDED STORES
Department Stores and Other Business Houses Jansd Wu
People and Reoord-7rsakng Amount Of Mail Is Handed a
the postofioe-Evidenoe of Santa Claus Everywhere.

Today Is the day for the last-min-
ute Christmas shoppers and conse-
quentiy the streets IN the down town
section Of the city were throngeo with
people The department stores. the
stocks Of which we're considerably
shattered as the result Of the voiiey
Of shoppers hurled against them every
minute during the past three weeks.
looked much the worse for those at
tacks today. But the Christmas shop
pers continued tneir campaign q
buying sI day today and Will carry
the buying raids into tonight
Some OF the department stores VIII
keep open tonight for the convenience
Of persons who have been unable to
make their purchases at an earlier
period. Other stores viii close their
doors at .. m. L. Bamberger q CO.
and L L. Plaut & Co. will be closed
tonight. while Hahne & Co. David
straus and the Goerke Co. will keep
open. Oscar Michael & Co. Will Do
open until p. m
One Of the busiest places IN New
ark today was the Centre Market.
From the opening time all through
the day crowds of shoppers s~armea
around the various stalls buying
things for the Christmas dinner
table. While the poultry dealers have
been extremely busy for the past
week, today they reported pelhg
rushed to .hei- limit. The produce
dealers did an extra large business
today. During the early hours OF the
morning, much before many new
arkers were out Of their beds, tht
daa Ef =
ping goods to out-of-tOwn butchefs
who had oversold their stocks and
had to have a Christmas eve sup
The florists shops did their SHARE
of the last days shopping today.
Christmas eve is always regarded D
florists as the biggest business day OF
the season, persons preferring 70
wait until the last minute for their
floral decorations in order that they
NAV be -resh for Christmas
All records for the number o.
Christmas packages handled at the
postofice were smashed during tad
past two days. when more tnan
200. 600 parcels were collected ana dis.
tributed. This is an increase of
ahoiIt 70. 600 pieces over the amount
received during the corresponding
period last year The rush continued
today, most OF the packages received
being for local delivery.
From Sunday until midnight last
night. 1.O2g.319 pieces Of first class
mail were received at the office, TINS
amount being exclusive OF parcel
post packages and postcards. rabies
in the sorting room at the office to-
day were piled high, with approxl-
nately 250,000 postcards received yes
terday and last night. Last year
there were. ,9zS letters and post
cards received during the four Gays
preceding Christmas eve, making the
increase this year about 35S,oOo pieces
Yesterday there we're approximate
iy $4,000 parcels mailed at the post
Office. an increase of 10000 parcels
over the preceding day. The pack
ages received yesterday included
those mailed here for delivery out
SIDE of Newark and those received
from other cities for delivery here.
A continual stream of wagons and
automobile trucks made the trip from
the postofiice to the Market street
depot of the Pennsylvania Railroad
last night The jam at the railroad
station became so great that Post.
master Frank J Book was requested
to halt the shipments until the noun
tain or mall bags COu4u De uanoieo
The small increase Of mail during
Friday and Saturday Of last week
was taken as an indication that the
holiday rush this year would not be
as great as 1913 Since Monday.
however, the postoffice has been
flooded with mail of every descrlp-
tion and the entire force Of 500 clerks
and carriers. including substitutes,
has been working overtime to keep
pace with the rush
Christmas trees and automobils
tires were among the freak pack
ages received yesterday in the parcel
post department The trees, number
ing about twenty. were mailed ta
public schools and institutions There
is no trouble about sending the trees
through the mail, providing they are
not too long and are wrapped prop
erly. With the branches folded in
and tied firmly with burlap and
twine the trees are kent within rhe
postofFice limit as TO the size Of a
package which may be shipped. Sew
enty two inches in combined length
and girth IS the limit set by the
regulations.