The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1895-02-28

"Dixie.'
The Tune Brought Him Close to His
Old Kentucky Home.
Dixie"

| This story is not new. 1t is old in point of
date though not in publicity. 1t is true. how
ever. or at least vouched for as such by New
! York man born in the south. And this is the
way he told it in Louisville some time ago:
/ What year was it that Pat Gmore'S band
was playing in Madison Square Garden for the
last time? 1t doesn't matter. 1t was the year
before Gilmore's death anyhow. ought to re-
member the date. though. for one OF your
Louisville boys caused me to remember every
incident of a certain night that season. III tell
you all about it if you like
| The question in the New Workers. words was
drowned in the tone that vociterated his wish to
tell the story and it was called for by polite
chorus.
| Il had been to dinner party and drlfted into
the Garden because was lonely and had seen
everything at the theaters worth seeing. didn't
pay much attention to the concert and as !
slipped green mint became interested in
young man at the table next TO mine. didn't
! know him then. but learned afterWard that he
was a prominent young insurance man OF Louis
vile. He evidently had been seeing the seamy
side of NewYo DIRK for some days and had held up
his end as is the custom of Kentuckians. But he
! had come to the conclusion that he needed
little Solitude had fOrsaken his friends and
|
garden He picked his steps with suspicious
| care as he came ill., but the good form of his APP
pearance was marred only by a wrinkle or two
on the linen that formed part of his evening
dress. The cause of these wrinkles was ap
parent when, leaving the glass untasted before
/ him. his head sank and he fell into much
needed sleep. | smiled and thought of other
! things until toward the close of the programme
! the band began medley of national airs. 1t
| opened with Yankee Doodle Marching
Through Georgia. and half dozen other tunes
! followed and then with a brassy crash the band
started the air that for all time will start tin
! Cling every drop of blood in the veins of "a south
ern born man. The bowed neck of the sleeping
stranger swung straight and his eyes opened.
DaZed by his sudden awakening. he looked about
! him a moment Then as the strains of the
music swept upon his ear. he sprang to his feet.
shot one hand with clinched fist above his head,
and in voice that echoed from side to side of
the big building yelled:
"'DiXie by CD
There was an instant of dead silence followed
by shout of laughter and applause. Gilmore
/ looked around. provoked and disconnected. and
for the first time that famous band Numbered
and the medley continued with little regard for
musical accuracy. No lobster a la Newburg was
ever redder than that young man from Louis
villa as he sat in his chair He wished himself a
thousand miles away, but he was too game to
run, and when first one and then another EN-
poyee of the place gathered around him and
told him he must leave. this conversation
followed:
"'You must get out of here
II won't do it,
"'IOuve got to. You've raised a disturbance
here and you'll either get out or be put OUT
81 won't 60 Pm sorry l made any noise, but
it will be bad for the first man that lays hands
on me for cheering for Dixie
Come Get out of here
and just then, three tables away, a big dark
man arose and came toward the group. From
five tables away little man with blazing eyes
was already coming. Five-ten-twenty men
we're coming from this side and that l lost
count of the number, but in a moment the en-
plOyees around the young stranger were no Ion
ger in an overwhelming majority and in low
quiet tones in whose GOODNESS lay the bulldog
growl heard:
"'Hell not go OUT
""NOt until he's quite ready
"Leave the gentleman alone and leave him at
Once.'
And they left him. And the crowd made Gil
more play that medley three times. And every
time Dixie was reached there was cheer that
made the roof ring And that's all there is to
my story except that am going to look up that
young man while Pm here, because he blotted
out ten years of New York and brought me
mighty close to my old Kentucky home that
charlottesville Journal.