The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-12-18
HEAPS OF MAIL
JAM POSTOFFICE
Local Force Gives Real Ex.
hibition Of How to
Hurry.
MAIL EARLY PLEA HEARD
Nearly Three Times Quantity
Being Handled as Last Year
on This Date.

| should Mr.. s. Claus. benefactor ex.
trsordinary. by chance step into the
Postofnce, there II no question that
he would stare open.mouthed at the
unusual, scene OF hurry and furry.
Great piles, heaps. mountains OF
packagcs--cover every available inch
of floor space, most of them highly
lcoiored with Christmas saiutations
In the form OF Red Cross seals and va.
rious other stickers. Activity that
would amaze even the most industri-
Gus OF homes IL In the very air.
Tremendous boxes on wheels, piled
high with bundles. are trundled uoise.
lessly about by shirtsleeved men, per
spring despite the reports OF the
Weather Bureau. The boxes are
brought to long tables where many
men stand shoulder TO shoulder, sort
watch your step" howis the track.
man. and another load Is dumped upon
the tsbles, already piled TO the height
IT q mans head with Christmas gifts.
<s.e tee Big to Garry.
Besides the desks where the car.
riers sort their mail, there are heaps
OF packages that the Woodworking
maiime ncannot carry.
At q o'clock this morning, the car.
riers reported. BY Z there were on
their way to distribute mail. They
trife more. Many resembied the sin.
gle bumped dromcdary as they bent
to their tasks.
Hustle. hustle. hurry.
Everyone from the postmaster to
the newest recruit who vii help for
the holiday season thinks, talks, and
dreams speed.
An Endless ArrSs.
A.
into the sorting room. drop their
loads, and scurry away for more. An
endless belt brings an endless and
ever increasing array OF Christmas
gifts. Three men over there are &C.
cupied with emptying sacks OF mall.
Here comes another truck load. piled
up as high as a man can toss bundles.
There is seemingly an unlimited mum
Der OF these truck loads. It's no
place for . nervous man.
Soon there will be no space for
trucks to run, nearly all OF the moor
being covered now. Standing In front
OF q frame on which are about
twenty sacks for different sections Of
dress on a package and without rails.
ing their eyes toss ~ into the proper
bag. These men can tain, sing ~
whistle and without lookinig at you.
continue to toss the mail lik. bullets.
About ono mistake each holiday sea
son IL considered the auotat for each
man. walter johnson please write.r
ssnstisses They Collide.
4 boy. working FOR the holidays
only II coming around q corner, un'
able TO see over the packages that
are piled In his arms. n similarly
laden man. q regular employc, ~ com
ing the other way. The inevitable.
Whi& picking up the packages the
9Idsf.n ssrls 1ss SSy msnd 'n p.p
the storv here, but this " family
Tables in from, Of the windows In
the corridor proved a,trse s,r.s ~, ,his
morning people began 10 sather
there 20 mail packages, After ofice
time the crowd was considerably re.
duced In size hut theIe stil' remained
large number
Need Fer Al E.ersy.
Their. Is u need OF all the energy
that IN expended. The mall At this
time Is larEeT than usually II handled
two days later during the seasons
rush. according to Postmaster Chance.
During the nttecn days from tn.
FIRST to the fifteenth OF December. 1914,
what was considered a fair total OF
receipts was received. During the
same period for 1915, the record
breaking year OF the postoffice'r his
tory, a considerable Increase over the
former year Was shown.
This year the receipts for the nrst
hfteen DAYS OF the month were more
than one fourth over the total for
1914, and shoy a large Increase o.
last years receipts,
This IL not wholly indicative OF the
smount OF mall received. however
since parcel post rates have been
materially reduced during the past
year,
Mig Increase In Sacks.
on. December Is. 1915. S,7s0 sacks
OF mail were dispatched from the