Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-03-19
"musuc AND WORDS OF DIXIE"
Dan Emmett Im Author aud New York
tho Place OF It's Production.

Is PLEASANT srRrEr,t
BALTIMORE. Nd. March II. 1893.
To DE Editor Of ae Dispatch
/ see by your Issue of March 9TH Q cues.
ton has arisen with regard to the author:
ship music and words) Of Dixie
think 1 can give you /" a straight tip, With
regard TO Albert Pixies authorship-he was
too noble a gentleman to have claimed
ANYTHING that did not belong to him
When it was written he was practising Law
in Arkansas, not in Memphis. As for Cap
tain Mentor aud his band composing 1t at
the ievee on the Mississippi, that is still
more absurd. Mrs. Charles T.. White,
widow Of Charlie White. my lifelong
friend, is correct.
/ will give You now the full particulars
as | have received them from Dan Emmett
himself and my own recollections.
A"wALK-ARouND."
Dixie 1T was Saturday night in 1853.
when Dan Emmett was a member OF Bry-
came TO Emmett and said: Dan, can't
Won get US up a walk-around? j wan. some.
thing new and lively for Monday night"
At that date all minstrel shows used TO
wind up with a "walk-around." The de-
mand for them wa constant, and Emmett
was the composer OF all the Walk.
arounds" of Bryant's band. Emmett OF
course went 10 WOTk, ouV ~ y "a "oHc .
much in that line that nothing at hrst
satisfactory to him presented itself; AT
last be hit upon the first two bars;
and any composer can tell how good
a start that ~ in the manufacture OF
a tune. BY Sunday afternoon he had the
words, commencing II wish L was In
Dixie" This colloquial expression was
not. as most people suppose, a southern
phrase. but first appeared among the CIR
Gus people of the North. In early fal,
when nipping frosts would overtake the
tented wanderers. the boys would think OF
the genial warmth OF that section TOR
which they were heading, and the common
expression would be, Well, l wish | was
down in Dixie"
BECAME THE EAGE.
This gave the catch line the rest of the
song was original. On Monday morning
the song was rehearsed and highly CON-
mended, and at night a crowded house
caught w the refrain and half the audience
went home whistling Dixie" Bryant
gave Emmett So for his work. The song
became the rage. and "Newcombe's."
"Buckley's," and other minstrel bands
paid Emmett So for the privilege Of using
it. MIR. Werlean. of New Orleans, wrote
to Emmett to secure the copyright, but,
without waiting for an answer. published
il with the words by Mr.. Peters. of New |
lOEh. Ilt Wbiuo StJus Va ~ NNP1-
right from Emmett and gave him $500.
But Werlean sold thousands of COPIES
without givIng, Dan a nickel. Not only
was Emmett robbed of the profit of hls
songs but its authorship was disputed. |
VIII f. Hays claimed it as his own
RAPED 40 BENEFIT.
Pond brought the matter before a mu-
steal publishers convention and settled
the question OF authorship; but Dan
reaped no benefit from this tardy justice.
Emmett got into trouble about his song
during the war. 1t was considered a rebel
song, and q saDient Maine editor declared
Dan TO be "Secesh." and that ho should
be treated as one, although Dixie" was
written two years before the Commence
ment Of the war, and as originally written
there was not a line that could be charged
with any political bearing. The GROWING
popularity of this ~well-known ditty was
in New Orleans in the spring of
1861. when Mrs. John Wood played an en- |
gagement at the Varieties Theatre. "Po- |
c%ahontas." by John %Brougham, was the at
traction. and in the last scene a zouave
march was introduced. Carlo PATTI. bro |
ther of hdalina Patti, was the leader OF the
orchestra. At the rehearsal Carlo was at a
loss as to what air to appropriate.
GROWING TRIUMPH.
Trying several, he finally hit upon
"Dixie," Tom McDonough shouted
4" That Will do-the very thing; play 1t to-
Mrs. John Wood. Mark Smith.
Lofingwesl. and John Owens were de-
lighted. Night came. the Zouaves march
ed on. led by Miss Susan Denim, singing. |
4" / wish | was i'll Dixie" The audience
became wild with delight and seven encores |
were demanded. Soon after the war broke
out. The Washington artillery had the
tune arranged for a quickstep by Romeo
Meneri. The saloons. the parlors. the
rang with the Dixie" air. n
Dixie" became TO the South what the
4" Marsellaise " is to France. i
OTHER ~AUrHoRITIEs.
Now, to support what ] state Mel
is now IN Washington holding
some government Office: he ought to be
able 10 pack up what | say. as he was a
member Of his brothers company when it
was first produced, and Colonel A!lston
Brown, of New York. is generally con
sidered authority in all matters pertaining
to the history of the show world In the
United States. Dan Emmett is a native
of Ohio and is of German descent. |. to-
getner with Il. -. Hooiey. got him up a
benefit in Chicago. John Mccullough.
Joe Emmett. and a host of volunteers ap- |
pearod at o mstinee. the result of which
was over a thousand dollars. l do not
credit thai Dan Is cutting wood, as he IS
Ill excellent fiddler and generally makes a
living in that vocation. He is O very care |
full man and never was under the undue
influence of liquor in his life.
Dr q KAxv 4