, 1874-08-23
DAN EMMETT
Life Of the Author of ss Di6ie's
Land"
The Old Chief Of Negro bIinstrelsy
Feeding Ills Chickens.
His Experiences in the Concert-SaEoon
Business.
a Contented Old Age.

a Contcnted Old Age.
| Chicago, among her half million or 80 Of in
habtants, numbers the father Of negro min
strelsy, Daniel B. Emmet. to-wit: The late
George Christie WAS generally accorded the
honor-u it be IN honor-of having introduced
"bu1nt-corE opera to the world. This ia =
| mistake. Long before the genial George aver
convulaed the people OF past generation with
irrepressiblo lansn.er,
YOUNG DAN EMnEr
sang "The Black Rose" snd danced
''Jim Grow" among the villages Of North
ern and Eastern Ohio. Ho was born the
year OF the battle Of Waterloo, and first
caused trouble in his family by yelling with in
fantile disregard OF adult anricu1ar organs at
unseemly hours Of the night, in the fair village
of Mount Vernon, situated in the s' Buckeye
State" Dams very vail vas melodious and he
threw his little limbs around in way that fore
snadowed his future celebrity as 3 professor Of
eccentric Terpsichore.
Ho received the wholesome amount OF spank
ing and ear-cuf1ing benevolently dealt out by
irate parents to the restless urchins OF the old
day, and from this species OF house-
hold discipline WAS duly consigned to the
tender r.ercies OF cranky Pedagogue.
who engineered Lighthouse school in the neigh
borhood OF Daniera natal village. There he
learned to read, write, and CIPHER" the latter
experience going III far as 'S the double rule OF
three" which WAS considered wonderful degree
Of mathematical perfection in Dams juvenile
iays,~-that is among the rural folks Of Ohio.
But it was ey1dint that tho boy was not de-
signed for anything ye1Y astonishing in the way
Of erudltiou.
ITS EARLY GENIUS
developed itself in backing the couptenances OF
himself and echoolmates with burnt corn-cobs,
in lien OF cork. and IN dancing ''wak arounds,"
which he had learned from an old darkev
who had come with the elder Emmett from ''Ole
Virs1nny." This kind Of exercise got the boy
sundry thrashiugs, which he endured With
astonishing stoicisn. The magic age Of IL
emaucipated Dan from pedagogical thraldom,
and promoted him to place behind 4 plox-horse
on Ills fathers farm. The youth soon sickened
OF this, and one tlne summer day. in the year
1880, he hade farewell to farming, and joined
arnoLL1SG COMPANY OF PLAYERS
who where then delisht,ns the oHioans With
favored by nature with handsome countenance.
good muEical taste. inherited from his mother,
who ras native OF - Maryland, my Maryland"
having been born in that Same Frederick Town
where ~ U1FOaE8 pIitCub Qlu nOL eAcIA1lu-
Seattle, II you will, this old gray head,
But spare jour country nas.
Daniel found the players = congenial set Of
people, and btcalre a prime fayOrltc 'Ti3nt OH.
His clear. musical voice charmed all listeners,
aud he became, almost Immediately, . celebrity
throughout his native State. His connection
with the stroliiuG company lasted over two years,
ami then he joined
TROUPE OF SINGERS,
which first led him into the w1y Of dong planta-
sion songs and scenes, IS depicted to hin by the
talented old darby already mentioned. Having
acluircd, for mere boy, quite a reputation
and pretty good supply Of money, Daniel vas
next induced to ttavel with circus, and Was
duly registered on all the bulls ~ 1.-The wonder
full a1li unapproachable Master Emme1, the as
tonlshipg deliueator Ut life Oh the slave pianta-
tious." 1t Was in this capacity that he first
really adopted the trade of - bu1nt-cork.''
Having served a considerable time among the
knights Of tho saw-dust. Em1nat, ut tho age Of
out on grand tour through tile Atlantic statos,
meeting with wonderful succ1ss- Year by year
his companHwas Increased, aud his Uandcrings
embraced the slaVehoidlng States, wherein hls
representations perfectly carried away the plant
err and their famlllcs- Abont tue year $40,
having formed partnership with soma other
singers lo
sA1LEp FOR EUROPE,
and exhibited in almost every c:ty and hamlet Of
the - Three Kingdoms" linen lie returned to
America, aud became connected, ore after
another, with nearly all the minstrel organiZa-
tions formed in New York. Hs lad natural
talcut for music, and composed several negro
melodies that won Worldwide reputation The
bes: known and most popular.-though by no
mcans the most preientious ol EmmeL's co1npo-
stiuuB,-iY
"pIx1E's LAND,
the air OF which was n.ado q kind OF na-
tional anthem by the rebels during
the great civil war. 'Dl1ie. starting
f., HrvonttA Ynin4fraJ tftfatra M|tnra