﻿148 
  History 
  of 
  Durham. 
  

  

  nomination 
  of 
  this 
  district 
  by 
  the 
  Democratic 
  party, 
  of 
  which 
  

   he 
  is 
  a 
  faithful 
  and 
  useful 
  member. 
  He 
  is 
  now 
  Captain 
  of 
  

   the 
  Durham 
  Light 
  Infantry, 
  having 
  been 
  elected 
  to 
  that 
  

   position 
  before 
  he 
  became 
  a 
  member. 
  Having 
  always 
  served, 
  

   in 
  the 
  various 
  public 
  positions 
  he 
  has 
  filled, 
  with 
  great 
  effi- 
  

   cienc}^ 
  and 
  acceptability, 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  position 
  within 
  the 
  gift 
  

   of 
  the 
  people 
  to 
  which 
  he 
  might 
  not 
  attain 
  if 
  he 
  choose. 
  

   But 
  he 
  is 
  devoted 
  to 
  his 
  warehouse 
  business 
  and 
  pleasantly 
  

   rejects 
  all 
  overtures. 
  

  

  J. 
  B. 
  WHITAKER, 
  JR. 
  

  

  Born 
  in 
  Goldsboro, 
  N. 
  C, 
  September 
  3d, 
  1851. 
  The 
  war 
  

   occurring 
  when 
  he 
  was 
  but 
  ten 
  years 
  of 
  age, 
  interfered 
  with 
  

   his 
  education. 
  Entered 
  the 
  printing 
  office 
  of 
  his 
  father, 
  J. 
  

   B, 
  Whitaker, 
  Sr., 
  and 
  early 
  manifested 
  fitness 
  for 
  this 
  avo- 
  

   cation. 
  Soon 
  became 
  a 
  swift 
  compositor, 
  and 
  was 
  acknowl- 
  

   edged 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  fastest 
  composers 
  of 
  type 
  in 
  the 
  State. 
  

   Indeed, 
  when 
  about 
  15 
  years 
  of 
  age 
  he 
  publicly 
  issued 
  a 
  

   challenge 
  for 
  a 
  contest 
  with 
  any 
  printer 
  in 
  the 
  State, 
  not 
  

   over 
  18 
  3^ears 
  of 
  age, 
  and 
  this 
  challenge 
  was 
  never 
  accepted. 
  

   At 
  19 
  years 
  of 
  age 
  he 
  was 
  employed 
  as 
  a 
  journeyman 
  on 
  

   the 
  Wilmington 
  Daily 
  Journal, 
  published 
  by 
  Engelhard 
  & 
  

   Price, 
  and 
  soon 
  won 
  the 
  distinction 
  of 
  being 
  the 
  swiftest 
  

   compositor 
  in 
  that 
  office. 
  When 
  a 
  youth 
  he 
  published 
  a 
  

   humorous 
  paper, 
  which 
  had 
  quite 
  a 
  run. 
  Has 
  occupied 
  the 
  

   positions 
  of 
  local 
  reporter 
  of 
  Goldsboro 
  News 
  and 
  local 
  editor 
  

   of 
  the 
  Goldsboro 
  Messenger. 
  At 
  one 
  time 
  he 
  was 
  owner 
  and 
  

   editor 
  of 
  an 
  advertising 
  sheet, 
  called 
  the 
  Weekly 
  Advertiser. 
  

   Was 
  married 
  April 
  25th, 
  1871, 
  to 
  Miss 
  Sallie 
  A. 
  Jones, 
  of 
  

   Goldsboro. 
  Mr. 
  Whitaker 
  held 
  in 
  Goldsboro 
  the 
  positions 
  

   of 
  Assistant-Postmaster 
  and 
  Town 
  Clerk, 
  although 
  a 
  Demo- 
  

   crat. 
  A 
  very 
  high 
  compliment, 
  attesting 
  his 
  merits, 
  as 
  in 
  

   this 
  case 
  politics 
  were 
  ignored, 
  and 
  Republicans 
  voted 
  for 
  

   him 
  from 
  higher 
  motives 
  than 
  those 
  which 
  usually 
  actuate 
  

  

  