Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1940-07-19
Continued from last issue

the most remarkable prohibition meet
ings ever held in Worcester County
was conducted in Snow Hill, the Coun-
ty seat on July 4, 1894. The late Mr..
Lawrence Hastings, who was the coun
ty chairman of the prohibition party
arranged the details of the meeting.
It was held in Burroughs Grove, which
is the north extension of Market ST.,
and at the present is known as Park
Row. The guest speaker was the late
Thomas R. Karskaddon, of Keyser,
w. Va. The music was furnished by
the Walter Harmon Quartette and af-
ter their experience of five years, they
were at their best. The attendants
at the meeting were thrilled by the
days events, and to this day (1940)
residents of that section of the county
remember that day and speak of its
interesting features. Too much can
not be said in praise of the two coun-
ty chairmen, Lawrence Hastings and
Phineas F. Ball, for their devotion
to the cause of temperance and pro-
hibition in Maryland. They espoused
the cause when it meant almost social
ostracism. In spite of all opposition
they adhered to their principles and
worked the harder. They were both
staunch Presbyterians and were born
leaders. Levin S. Nelson, Daniel w.
Miles and John H. Dulaney were none
the less active, and even the mention
of their names is as ointment poured
forth"
In their work, the members of the
quartette did not confine thmselves
to prohibition songs, but their roper
toire consisted of gospel hymns, pa
triotic songs, comic songs, plantation
melodies and negro spirituals, so that
all classes of hearers were reached
Messrs. Coursey and Wheatley were
unusually gifted in solo singing and
either could entertain a company for
a whole evening. Mr.. Wheatley had
the happy faculty of being able to
change his rich tenor voice into a
falsetto of a remarkable range of
tones thus initiating, to remarkable
degree, females singing and his rem
dition of comic songs and negro spir-
ituals never failed to elicit uproarious
laughter, so that he could capture an
audience by his eminent ability. If
he and Mr. Coursey could have surviv-
ed until the days of the radio broad
casting, their voices would have earn
ed each one of them a handsome for
tune
The last meeting of the Walter Har-
mon occurred at congressional con-
vention held at Easton, Md, in Sep
TENDER, 1896 Although it had been
over a year since the members had
sung together, the late Levin S. Mel
son, of Bishopville, Md, who was pres
ent at the meeting and who had been
in touch with the quartette during it's
whole career of seven years, paid the
members the following compliment:
"Boys, never heard you sing better
than you have sung today" It is
well to state that at one time, every
member of the quartette had been a |
resident of Worcester County. Rev.
Ralph T. Coursey was pastor of the |
Whatcoat Methodist Church of Snow
Hill for years; Rev. A. S. Now
bray, was pastor of the Salem Meth
odist Church of Pocomoke City, for
the same length of time, Mr.. J. w.
Wheatley. who was a skilled mechanic
as we'll as musician, was a trusted
employee at the box and crate factory
of VIM. NJ. Schoolfield and Sons, at
Pocomoke City, and Mr.. Hearne, a
school teacher, and late one of the
editors of a prohibition paper, "The
Record and Gazette" at his home
town of Pocomoke City.
The two ministers, Revs. Coursey
and Mowbray, on account of the press
ing duties of their respective pastor
ates, were compelled to relinquish
their work in the quartette and hence
it was necessary to disband and the
dissolution took place in September,
1896, after its seven years fight to
Danish the saloon and to abolish the
liquor traffic.
The indulgent reader of these lines,
may wish to know what happened af-
forwards in the life of each member
of the quartette.
Rev. Ralph T. Coursey, after over
thirty busy years, spent in the tenn
perance cause did not live to see his
dream of national prohibition realiz-
ed, but died during his passionate at
Wyoming, Del, at the early age of
Sc years, on January 5, 1919, just a
short time before the 18th Amend
1nent WAS added tn the TT g Constitll-