The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-12-04
CHRISTMAS SEASON APPROACHES
Now Is Time to DO Christmas Shon-
ping and Sending of Packages
Through Mail.

With the advent of December the
Christmas season is almost here and
shoppers have only a short time be-
tween now and Christmas in which
to do all of the purchasing that they
always do during the Christmas sea-
son. Much time and trouble can be
saved by these shoppers if they set out
now to do their shopping instead of
waiting until Christmas is only a day
or two off when everybody else who
waited until the last minute is also do
ing their Christmas shopping and the
clerks are rushed so that they hardly
have time to take a good long breath
and still less time to be as politely
obliging and accommodating as they
would like to be and as the shoppers
like them to be, the fault being that
or those who delay their shopping.
Business has been better this fall than
last fall and with the coming Of cold
weather, it has increased rapidly. If
the present business is an Indication
of that which will be done during and
for the Christmas season. then the
Christmas trade will be immense.
The moral is very evident "Do YOUR
Christmas shopping early and avoid
the rush."
Postmaster Dick, in speaking of the
increased work the Christmas season
would force on the postoffice, stated
that already there had been a big in
crease of general business and if this
was any criterion of what the Christ
mas business would be like, then the
limited force OF the department would
have a hard time handling all of the
packages which would be shipped
from and to Sumter. Postmaster
Dick stated that. there would be only
q limited increase of the force to
handle the Christmas business, and
this would require a great deal of
AANA oNhNy "oih VII lHe part OF the
regular men of the department.
These already had plenty to do and
the increased business could not be
handled with dispatch unless shippers
aided the postoffice in this business.
He stated that this aid could be rend-
cred in several ways, the chief Ole
being by early shopping and the
sending Of packages through the
mail before the Christmas rush was
on Packages can be sent now and
the shipper can write on his package:
Not to be opened until Christmas"
indicating the nature of the gift, al
though except for the shippers name
and address and the address OF Tho
person to whom the package IS sent,
all OF which should written plainly on,
one side or the package, no other
writing should DC allowed.
Business houses can aid the speedy
dispatch Of their mail by sending it
to the postoffice early in the afternoon,
DR.. Dick stated. This insures the par
cels'and letters getting off on the af-
ternoon trains. Firms sending in large
numbers Of letters should be careful
to have their letters assorted and
headed the same way. if this is done
the despatching clerk does not have
to take time to assert and head them
and they can be run through the
stamping machine in a few minutes.
where the other work would take a
much longer time. Packages should
be not only plainly addressed, but
should be firmly tied. This again saves
the office employees time and trouble.
Recently changes have been made
In the schedules of the north bound
trains, which leave ten minutes ear
lier than formerly. The northern mail
for the first train closes at about 5:15
and those business houses which have
letters to go off on this mail should
give the dispatching clerks ample
time to assert and stamp the letters
so as to catch the train. as they are al
ways anxious for their mail to catch
1t.
The happiness OF many people is in
the hands of the postoffice depart
ment, so to speak, for the safe ar
rival OF packages means much to the
givers and receivers. The importance
of the shippers aiding the department
employees, therefore, in having their
packages start early and right cannot
be too strongly impressed upon the
general public.