KinSource - Tale of the Week - In The Express Office

KinSource

Minnesota Tales

The St. Paul Daily Globe, December 25, 1891

IN THE EXPRESS OFFICES.

A Perfect Crush of Presents Coming and Going.

The express offices of the city have been the scene of unusual bustle and activity the past few days. The happy combination of renewed business prosperity, after more than a year's unpleasant suspension, and an abiding faith in the future, or something of this sort, has served to accelerate the nobler sentiments of people. To contribute to the pleasures of a dear friend, or a beloved relative, is instinctively a sweet mission, delicious in its office. But the hand that gives must not be hampered by the fear of regret - by fear that the purchase price may soon be needed at home. This apprehension is undoubtedly reduced to a minimum this year.

If one doubts it, it is too bad he did not visit the express offices at almost any business hour the past week.

A GLOBE reporter spent several hours, most diligently, too, in the express offices yesterday. He is neither an optimist nor its antithesis, but the amenities of life are now pictured in more cosy hues in his mind, and he is deeply impressed with the better side of human nature. Such an experience is a perfect antidote for pessimism, and would cure one of the idea that all the world is miserly and selfish.

The corps of employes in all the local express offices were multiplied for the holiday business, but they were inadequate to the emergencies. They were deluged with packages and parcels, and boxes and baskets - all kinds of shapes and weights and values. The offices have been piled high with these messages and greetings to dear ones. From early morn till the hour of closing at night the employes have been obliged to strain every nerve to care for the immense shipments, and the receipts are just beginning to take active rank with the shipments, it should be observed. Without this explanation and exposition of the holiday gift business of a St. Paul express office would do a gross injustice to the friends at a distance. While the bounty and generosity of a St. Paulite is his shining virtue and proverbial excellence, he has no monopoly on the propensity. Providence has given it a wide distribution, as is evidenced by these same express receipts. They come from every section of the country, and some even from foreign ports.

But what we are today interested in most particularly is how St. Paul remembered its friends in other climes. It is a cosmopolitan city. A remarkable unimportant per cent of the present citizens boast of this beauty spot as their natal city. They hail from all quarters, and they have left fond ones at home, and it is when Christmas comes that their remembrances of "loved ones at home" are quickened, and they send glad tidings in gifts. That is why the express employes are overworked from day-break to a late hour at night in handling the thousands of multiform packages that have been addressed to remembered friends in other cities, villages, towns and county places.

"I have been in this business sixteen years," said one of the officers of the American Express company yesterday, "but this beats my experience. Come with me to the rear room," and he led the way. Here was another force of a dozen or more young men "humping" themselves in carrying out and loading packages into the covered vans that were to take these presents to the depot.

"These packages, you will see by reading the addresses, go almost everywhere. And I dare say they contain almost every conceivable article, fitting the taste of the donors. Here are gifts to sweethearts, to fiances; and gifts to parents, brothers and sisters, cousins, classmates and friends," resumed the agent after giving a few directions about handling the articles.

"Yes, this is an unusually large holiday business," he pursued felicitously. "As I remarked, I never saw anything like it. It speaks eloquently for St. Paul's outlook, doesn't it? Everybody must have a confidence in the future.

"Now these are presents we are receiving," he added, pointing to the opposite side of the spacious room. "Again, you will notice they come from about every station in the country. It sets me moralizing when I think of it. What a blessed thing it is for St. Paul that it has friends everywhere, and what a factor this fact is in the candidacy for the national Democratic convention. We ought to get it, oughtn't we?"

In the United States office the reporter encountered another throng - every one's face beaming with eloquent pleasure. Old and young commingled and waited upon each other as the receipts were being written out by the felicitous clerks. They all had one or more packages or boxes to be sent away, and all were solicitous about the time it would take for the express to convey the precious gifts to their designations.

"Oh! It would be too bad if they do not get there on Christmas day," said a young lady whose sweet face beautifully reflected the sentiment of the season. "Perhaps I should have brought it yesterday," she suggested earnestly.

"Oh, no; this will be delivered in time," returned the courteous clerk and she smiled joyously and departed with an acknowledgement of her thanks.

"Yes, our holiday business is much in excess of the past," said Cashier Johnson, of the Adams. Indeed, we have scarcely facilities for handling so much, and it sets me to wondering how in the world St. Paul people can send so many presents this year. They say times are so hard. But that can't be seriously so, can it, when everybody, apparently, can make Christmas presents?"

The Northern Pacific express also has its full quota of the business, and when it is borne in mind that the presents sent away only represents a small proportion of those actually made, one has something of a conception of the magnitude of the same.

Truly, Christmas is the happiest time of the year.