When Pocomoke Was Young- A continuing weekly feature.

 

(Chapter flow:)

ITS ORIGIN AND TOWN LIMITS

TOWN LIMITS

GROWTH, CHANGE OF NAME, ETC.

MERCANTILE ASPECT

MANUFACTURING

TRADES ETC.

SHIPPING INTERESTS

EASTERN SHORE STEAMBOAT CO.

SHIP BUILDING ETC.

HOTELS, LIVERY STABLES, ETC.

PHYSICIANS

LAWYERS

POST OFFICE

PRINTING OFFICES

SOCIAL ASPECT, ETC.

MORAL ASPECT

TEMPERANCE CAUSE

SCHOOLS

CHURCHES

Note:  In duplicating this material for publishing on The Pocomoke Public Eye we have made minor adjustments to correct some of the spelling, punctuation, etc. We believe the errors were not in Rev. Murray's original writing but occurred in the process of formatting the material to a digital format for viewing online.

MORAL ASPECT. 

The moral aspect of New Town in its early history. 
Although there were some good and holy people in New 
Town, whose lives stood out as burning and shining 
lights, and although the gospel was making successful 
attacks on the fortifications of sin and wickedness, and 
winning many jewels from the rank and file of sinners, 
and presenting them as trophies to the Saviour of men; 
yet the morals of the people, as a whole were compara- 
tively at a low ebb. In order to see more clearly the 
debased state of morals, I will give you some few specifi- 
cations for illustration, for instance: the habit of drunken- 
ness, though it was always condemned by the good and 
true, yet it was winked at, and the votaries of the practice 
moved along in society as though nothing very serious 
had happened. 

Again, the habit of swearing was very common. When 
men would meet in New Town, on Saturdays, on business 
or for social interview, for that was the public day, he that 
could swear the keenest, sharpest oaths, attracted the 
greatest attention, especially from the boys. 

If there was a fray on hand, lie that could use the most 
awful asseverations and foul-mouth imprecations as though 
he were commissioned from the bottomless pit, serpent like 
to infect his poison, was the greatest man of the crowd. 

Again, gambling was much in vogue, gambling socially 
and for money, and many were the times that men would 
lengthen out the midnight taper till the dawn of coming 
day, using all their ingenuity to get each others money. 

Again conjuration, fortune-telling, witchcraft and super- 
stition were all believed to be as true as preaching, by the 
lowest class of society. 

But while conjuration and witchcraft have long since 
disappeared from society, fortune-telling and superstition 
have lingered longer, and there may be some of the old 
folks now living, particularly among the fair sex, who have 
had their fortunes told by the cutting of cards or the 
grounds of a coffee cup, in order to learn who their future 
husbands would be. Perhaps there may be some of those 
already spoken of who have showed the new moon a 
piece of silver in order to have good luck that moon, or 
who believed in sowing certain seeds on certain states of 
the moon as sure, only then of vegetating, or who have 
their pork butchered on the increase of the moon in order 
for it to swell, believing if the moon is on the decrease the 
pork would shrink. But these practices, to some extent, 
have gone into the shades and the people have already 
learned that the only road to success in any enterprise is 
application; that the diligent hand maketh rich, while 
laziness and idleness paves the way to poverty and ruin. 

TEMPERANCE CAUSE. 

The temperance cause as a distinct organization was 
unknown in the early history of New Town. The only 
thing bordering on temperance was the denunciations 
against drunkenness from the sacred desk, which declared 
that "drunkards shall not inherit the kingdom of God." 
Notwithstanding this first out-beaming of the temperance 
cause from the pulpit, professed Christians would some- 
times be seen with flushed cheeks and tongues unbridled, 
as the result of the too frequent use of the glass. Indeed, 
the habit of drinking spirituous liquors, with the exception 
of a very few, was quite common in families, in social 
gatherings and in business life. In all these relations the 
social glass was indulged in freely. I have already stated 
in another part of this history that to be successful in 
merchandising it was considered absolutely necessary 
to sell liquor. Hence all who engaged in the sale of 
goods, without an exception, sold spirituous liquors. In 
view of this state of things it cannot be wondered at that 
there should be drunkards and a plenty of them too. 
While the vender would fatten upon his ill-gotten gains, 
his victims with their families and children would be left 
destitute, in want and clothed in rags, and sometimes it 
was the case that the wives and little ones would be sitting 
over a few coals of fire contemplating their wretched 
condition, with scarcely a ray of hope for the future, with 
no refuge to fly to except to Him who heareth in secret. 

Oh! how many broken-hearted wives have poured forth 
their bitter cries for help in His Almighty ear and told 
their tale of sorrow and inquired of Him, "How long, O 
Lord, how long shall this state of things last?" Well, 
their prayers have been answered, but not in stopping the 
vender from his wholesale ruin of men, women and chil- 
dren; not in restoring to her former condition of happiness 
and joy that mother who was being murdered by piece 
meal; not in restoring to hope and cheerfulness the 
forlorn condition of the little children. But their prayers 
have been answered in another way. Time rolled on and 
brought its changes. The vender with his victims have 
passed away to a future reckoning, and to that tribunal 
whose decisions are in righteousness. 

If I could, I would call the vender back and inquire of 
him who they are that accuse him before the throne, for 
their name is legion. There was no material change 
in society upon the subject of temperance until 1835, 
when the Rev. Mr. Dorsey of the Baltimore conference 
of the Methodist Episcopal Church came down here and 
lectured upon that subject, and organized a temperance 
society. That society only forbade the use of spirituous 
liquors as a beverage. Up to this time all the stores sold 
spirituous liquors. The first one to break ground and 
give up the sale of it was Rev. John D. Long who was 
at that time but a youth not having arrived to his majority. 
He had but recently joined the Methodist Episcopal 
Church and listening to the lecture became convinced that 
the sale of it was wrong and determined to give up the 
practice forthwith. It is true that Mr. Long sold goods at 
the ferry, now the bridge, on the identical spot where the 
phospate factory now stands, but I associate him, in this 
instance, with New Town, because he was a member of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church here, because his 
associations were here, and because he was identified 
with the temperance movement in New Town. He was 
telling a veteran Methodist of his determination to quit 
selling liquor, when the old soldier said to him "Brother 
Long if it is wrong for you to sell it, it is wrong for me to 
distil it." Forthwith they abandoned the manufacture and 
sale of it. The temperance cause now began to be agitated 
in New Town. 

In 1836, Wm. Townsend opened the first store for the 
sale of goods, without spirituous liquors, in new Town. 
After awhile the old Washingtonian club of reformed 
drunkards, which was organized in the City of Baltimore, 
began to create a stir in favor of temperance. Some of 
their number came down here and lectured. Thus the 
temperance cause progressed until the organization of the 
Sons of Temperance, in 1847. The Sons of Temperance 
was also a beneficial society, it prospered for a while and 
seemed to be well adapted to the circumstances of the 
times. During its palmy days, the society built a fine 
temperance hall, which at present is owned by C. C. Lloyd, 
Esq., and has been occupied by him, as a drug store, for 
several years past. The upper story was in one entire 
room, and was occupied by the society. The lower room 
was fitted for store purposes, and was first occupied by 
Irving Merrill, Esq., who sold goods on strictly temper- 
ance principles. The society had placed in the gable end 
of the building a marble slab, with the following carved 
upon it: "New Town Division, Number 43, Sons of Tem- 
perance, instituted March 29th, 1847." which still exists 
as a monument of the prosperity of the temperance cause 
at that day. This society existed, however, but a few years, 
when it was dissolved and the beautiful temple was sold, 
and went into other hands. 

In 1870, another temperance society was organized in 
New Town, with the name of Good Templars. This society 
was also of short duration, it existed about two years, when 
it also became extinct. 

From 1872 to 1881, there has been no regular temper- 
ance society in New Town, now Pocomoke City. During 
1881, a society was organized in the place, in support of 
Local Option Reform, and the friends of temperance are 
mustering their forces for victory. But while temperance 
societies have been organized and dissolved, it only shows 
that the war for the extirpation of spirituous liquors, in 
Pocomoke City, has been going on without any com- 
promise. The churches also have kept up the war 
cry and are pressing hard upon this demon of de- 
struction, and they are forcing him, by the power of the 
Gospel, to surrender. If the question should be asked by 
a stranger, what are the signs of complete victory for the 
cause of temperance in Pocomoke City? This question 
will be answered in the following way: whereas, in 1836, 
every store in New Town sold spirituous liquors, now in 
1882, there are thirty-two business houses in Pocomoke 
City, and not one of them sells it except the apothecaries 
who sell it as a medicine. So thorough has been the 
revolution in society, upon the subject of temperance, that 
I might venture the prediction that there is no one who 
could, now, succeed in merchandising, in Pocomoke City, 
who would also sell liquor. It is true that there are two 
places in Pocomoke City where spirituous liquors are sold 
as a beverage, one is a saloon the other is the hotel bar, 
but the friends of temperance, I am apprehensive, will not 
cease their efforts until these places will be so restricted by 
legislation that it will not pay to sell it. 
CONTINUES NEXT SATURDAY HERE AT THE POCOMOKE PUBLIC EYE.