The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1919-08-07
BUSINESS AT P. 0.
is BOOMING AS
NEVER BEFORE IN
+ 0 W MS HISTORY
Average Sale of Stamps is Over
$Ioo Day; Improvement of
Conditions Is Cause.

Never in its history has the Canon
City postoffice handled as much mail
matter, or taken in as much money
from the sale OF stamps as il Is doing
at present. due to general improve
ment of business conditions in the
community. For the last few weeks
the postal receipts here have been
augmented to some extent by tourists
and other visitors, who have been lib
eral purchasers of stamps. but the
revenue from this source represents a
small part OF the business of the Of
fee, which is now running consider-
ably in excess of 800 a day. The
daily income from the sale of stamps
and stamped envelopes reached 800
about six months ago. and the pace
has been maintained ever since with
gradual growth over that amount
Six years ago the postal income here
was about SOS day. Recent reduc-
ton of letter postage from to cents
and post cards from 2 to i cent did
not materially affect the income of
the local postoffice. The increased
number of letters and post cards
mailed here under the cheaper post
up to the point 1t had reached under
the Scent letter postage
There has been a big Increase in
the parcel post business. as well as in
first. second and third-class mail mat
ter at the Canon City office during
the last few months, and never have
local people awaited themselves of
that means of transportation for pack
ages to the same extent as they are
now doing. This is particularly true
of crates containing fruits, berries
and garden truck, scores of which go
out of Canon City every week through
the postoffice to points within the first
and second postal zones. which prac-
/ tica1ly cover the state OF Colorado
Most of these shipments of fruits and
berries ultimately find their way to
consumers in mountain mining camps
or on rural delivery routes at con-
siderable distance from here. The
forwarding of this character of pro-
duce by parcel post will continue un-
til the apple crop is gathered late in
the fall. Two or three produce firms
in Canon City make regular use of
this means OF marketing their fruits
with their out-of-town customers.
Since The beginning of the tuorist
season hundreds of picture. or SOU
venir post cards. all of them adver-
Using Canon City. have been sent out
through the local postoffice TO all
parts of the country During the
war. when postage was 2 cents. the
souvenir post card business greatly
llanguished. but with the return of the
era of 1-cent rate IL revived. and
dealers find a great demand for them
among visitors The popularity of
the government post card. however.
was established by the war on ac-
count of the greater space IL affords
for q message. and its use will never
again be threatened by the pictorial
variety. however attractive the latter
may be.
With the return OF peace and the
reconstruction period that is to follow
a greater use than ever before viii
be made Of the postoffice, both in car
rying mails and in the transporta-
ton OF merchandise of a .lousand
kinds. Already there is talk OF dis
tributing by means OF the parce' post
the surplus meats and foodstuffs ac-
cumulated by the government dur;ns
the var for military purposes among
the people of the country. Such a
step by the government is likely to be
followed by great stimulus in postal
transportation. indeed. the postoffice
may become within few years the
vehicle for the dissemination of many
things which mankind has never even
dreamed OF marketing in that way.
There is illimifabie possibilities in
such q movement.
As the nearest point to Canon CITY
from which these army supplies nav
be obtained is Omaha. Neb.. il IS prob
able that peopie here will not be able
TO benefit much by the governments
offer as the postage on them wou'd
cancel the difference between the
Federal price and the cost in the local
| grocery. Omaha is in the fourth pos
tai zone from Canon City. and the
charges on parcel post packages from
!