Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-23
bic lob HANDLING
MAIL AND PARCELS
Busiest Time in Years for
Post Office and Union
Station.
THRONGS ABOUT TRAINS
THR0NGs ABOUT TRAINS


city post office and Union station were
passing through one of the busiest nights
in years, with the result that today thou
sands OF Christmas parcels will be de-
hvered to the homes In this city.
Parcel post packages will be delivered
all day. Taking advantage OF the COM
parative rest from departmental and bust
ness mail. the force Of the city post Office
today will have in active service forty
automobiles of the office. six from other
departments Of the government and thirty
hired automobiles
Employees to Work All Day.
Manning these cars will be scores of
employees who will find the day anything
but day Of rest" The city post office
this year Is doing much business which
In former years went to other agencies.
Drug store postal stations through
out the city will be open today from s
O'Clock am. to 10 o'clock pm to ac-
commodate the eleventh hour" par
eel post package mailers. The city post
ONCE Is open twenty-four hours q day
Despite the unprecedented flow Of
parcel post packages In and out Of WASH
fngton. the parcels are being handled
promptly at the city post office. and it
may be stated that every package
WHICH IL - auIHdlly possible to de-
liver by Christmas day will be deliv-
cred here.
Thousands of Mail Sacks at station.
Officials advised washingtonians
not to worry over the great noun
tain of mail sacks piled at the
west end OF the Union station con-
course. Heaped eight feet high tho
entire width of the concourse for a
depth of four train gates. the thousands
OF sacks of parcel post matter attracted
much attention from the almost inaue-
ural-size crowds at the station last
night.
5 But practically every bag of the nile
Us destined for some southern town,
having been brought here from the
north and dumped" in the Union sta
tion preparatory to further transit
under auspices of the railway mail
service.
Guesses at the number of bags in the
pile last night ranged from 10000 to
10000 The average citizen, looking at
the mountain of sacks, was inclined to
favor the latter computation
inability of the railway mail service
to get cars to transport the bags is
the reason given for using Union sta
ton coneourse as temporary storage
room.
Just Like Inauguration Time.
Union station. last night presented a
scene only equaled at inauguration
time Eight ticket windows were in
operation practically all the evening.
ana long lines of travellers extended
from each window
huge throngs sought to get on the
trains If the travelling public has
"a en- the slightest heed OF the appeal
OF Inc railroads to DO only necessary
travelling 1t WAS not apparent at the
Dig terminal last night.
All washington seemed bent on riding
on the ehoo-choo" cars
Crowds waiting for trains extended
from the gates clear across the con-
course to the doors leading to the main
waiting room.
Taxicabs Reaped Harvest.
Taxicab companies reaped a harvest.
as incoming trains seemed filled TO CA
pacity: Evidently, according to station
omclais. every one who can Ego home
ior Christmas" Is going this year
Appeals to be patriotic by not using
the railroads evidently fall on deaf
ears when directed to the man who has
q vision of home and mother and the
good old pumpkin pies that she makes
out from the dimly lighted train
sheds last night foated a runor that
there are fifty unloaded cars of ex
press packages standing on the si1ings
continuation of the report was lack
ing, however. 1t also was said that ex-
press packages are being brought In
w ashington on fiat cars, because OF the
neaVy demands on railroad equipment