﻿The 
  Post 
  Office. 
  85 
  

  

  GENE 
  MoREHEAD, 
  a 
  leading 
  banker 
  of 
  this 
  city 
  ; 
  Rev. 
  H. 
  T. 
  

   Darnall, 
  a 
  most 
  accomplished 
  christian 
  gentleman 
  and 
  

   pastor 
  of 
  the 
  Presbyterian 
  church, 
  and 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Geo. 
  W. 
  

   Watts, 
  one 
  of 
  our 
  most 
  worthy 
  and 
  enterprising 
  business 
  

   men. 
  

  

  The 
  exercises 
  of 
  theLx^ceum 
  consist 
  in 
  Readings, 
  Recita- 
  

   tions, 
  Essays 
  and 
  Debates 
  of 
  important 
  questions, 
  and 
  have 
  

   been 
  a 
  source 
  of 
  very 
  great 
  entertainment 
  and 
  profit. 
  A 
  

   small 
  library 
  has 
  been 
  purchased, 
  to 
  which 
  additions 
  are 
  

   constantly 
  being 
  made. 
  A 
  deep 
  interest 
  in 
  literary 
  pursuits 
  

   has 
  been 
  engendered, 
  and 
  is 
  rapidly 
  pervading 
  the 
  whole 
  

   town, 
  and 
  the 
  Lyceum 
  is 
  now 
  considered 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  fixed 
  

   institutions 
  of 
  Durham. 
  

  

  The 
  Post 
  Office 
  — 
  Origin 
  and 
  Present 
  Status. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  postal 
  facilities 
  of 
  Durham 
  were 
  established 
  at 
  

   Prattsburg, 
  about 
  the 
  year 
  1845, 
  with 
  William 
  Pratt 
  as 
  

   Postmaster, 
  who 
  was 
  succeeded 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Solomon 
  Shepherd\ 
  

   in 
  the 
  year 
  1852 
  soon 
  after 
  the 
  erection 
  of 
  the 
  N. 
  C. 
  R. 
  

   R. 
  Depot, 
  \vhen 
  the 
  office 
  was 
  moved 
  to 
  Durham 
  Station, 
  

   and 
  located 
  at 
  the 
  " 
  Old 
  Angler 
  corner," 
  now 
  corner 
  of 
  Main 
  

   and 
  Mangum 
  streets. 
  Mr. 
  Shepherd 
  held 
  the 
  office 
  until 
  

   the 
  beginning 
  of 
  the 
  late 
  civil 
  war, 
  and 
  was 
  succeeded 
  b}' 
  

   Mr. 
  J. 
  P. 
  Mangum, 
  who 
  served 
  until 
  1873. 
  The 
  present 
  

   incumbent, 
  Mr. 
  D. 
  C. 
  Mangum, 
  was 
  appointed 
  September, 
  

   1873, 
  and 
  assumed 
  control 
  of 
  the 
  office 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  

   November, 
  At 
  that 
  time 
  Durham 
  rated 
  as 
  fourth 
  class, 
  

   and 
  the 
  Postmaster 
  was 
  allowed 
  a 
  salary 
  of 
  only 
  $480 
  per 
  

   annum. 
  The 
  business 
  of 
  the 
  office 
  so 
  rapidly 
  increased 
  

   that, 
  on 
  Julv 
  1st, 
  1875, 
  it 
  was 
  constituted 
  a 
  Money 
  Order 
  

   office. 
  In 
  1877, 
  the 
  office 
  was 
  raised 
  to 
  the 
  third 
  class, 
  and 
  

   Mr. 
  D. 
  C. 
  Mangum 
  re-appointed 
  by 
  President 
  Hayes, 
  his 
  

   commission 
  dating 
  from 
  May 
  1st, 
  1877, 
  and 
  his 
  salary 
  in- 
  

   creased 
  to 
  $1,300. 
  All 
  third 
  class 
  Postmasters 
  are 
  appointed 
  

   for 
  a 
  term 
  of 
  four 
  3'ears. 
  Mr. 
  Mangum 
  was 
  re-appointed' 
  

   by 
  President 
  Arthur, 
  his 
  commission 
  dating 
  from 
  May 
  1st, 
  

   1887. 
  Since 
  Mr. 
  Mangum 
  assumed 
  control 
  the 
  average 
  

   increase 
  of 
  postal 
  receipts 
  per 
  annum 
  is 
  about 
  20 
  per 
  cent. 
  

   Receipts 
  from 
  the 
  sale 
  of 
  stamps, 
  &c., 
  for 
  the 
  year 
  ending 
  

   September 
  31st, 
  18S3, 
  were 
  $4,850. 
  Taking 
  the 
  first 
  three 
  

   months 
  of 
  1884, 
  as 
  a 
  basis, 
  it 
  is 
  estimated 
  that 
  the 
  receipts 
  

   during 
  the 
  present 
  year 
  will 
  considerably 
  exceed 
  $5,000, 
  

   6 
  

  

  