Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1898-07-21
THE MAN WHO WROTE DIXIE,
Dan Emmett Lives TO Sec the North
and South Sing His Song Together.

LhaL Ian Emmett, who WrOtC"DiXic,"
is still living. lie has survived to
hear the North and South sing his
song togcthcr, and to sec the soldiers
from the two sections march side by
side in one common cause to it's
strains.
lis home is in Mount Vernon,
Ohio, where he was born, and where
he hopes to end his days. The old
man isa picturesque figure on the
streets of tho town. In his prime he
was one Of the mid-ccntrc dandics
of New York city, but now with
calm indifference to the conventional,
he usually carries a long staff and
wears his coat fastened in at the
waist by bit of rope.
lis home is n little cottage on the
edge of town, where he lives entirely
alone. On almost any warm after
noon he can be found seated before
his door reading, but he is ready
enough to put aside his book or
paper and talk with th>' Glance visi-
tor, whose curiosity to NEE, the
composer of one Of the national
and Of all, the most thoroughly
nativc-songs Of America, has
brought him out from the town.
1t was this curiosity that took me
TO the cottage. The old composer
was seated in the shade by his house,
with book open before him. AS |
went up the path, | said, for | had
some doubt in my own mind
care you Dan Emmett, who wrote
Dixie?"
"Wcll, | have heard of the fellow ;
sit down." and he motioncd TO the
steps.
"Won't You tell me how the song
was writtcn?"
w.ikc most everything else l ever
did, because it had to Hc done. One
Saturday night in 1859, as | was
leaving Bryant's theatre, where |
was playing, Bryant called after me :;
q want walk 'round for Monday,
Dan The next day it raincd and |
stayed indoors. At first when
went at the song | couldn't get any
thing. But n line, Il wish | was in
Dixie kept repeating itself in my
mind, and finally | took it for my
start. The rest wasn't long in com
ing. And that's the story Of how
Dixie was written. 1t made hit ut
once, and before the end Of the
week everybody in New York
was whistling it. Then the South
took il up and claimed it for It's own.
sold the copyright for $500, which
was aIl | ever made from it. l'll
show yon my first copy" lie went
into the house and returned in mo-
mcnt with Il yellow, worn-Iooking
manuscript in his hand.
"Ihat's Dixie" he said, hol,ling it
mp for inspection. "l nm going to
give it. to some historical society in
the South one Of these days, for,
though | was born here in Ohio, |
count myself S"uthcrnrr, as my
father was a Nirginian."
Half 4 century ago Emmett was Il
famous "niggcr" minstrel. Those
were the palmy days Of the burnt
cork art, when Bryant'S Theatre ol.
lower broadway was one Of the most
popular resorts in New York city.
Emmett was born in 1919, at Mount
Vernon, coming from n family, all Of
whose members had a local ltputa-
tiOn---still tradition in the county,
aS musicians. In his own caan this
talent was but little less than a crude
and nndcvrlopcd sort Of genius. lie
began life as Il printer, but soon
abandoned this trade to Join the band
Of n circus company. lie was not
long in discovering that he could
compose songs Of the kind in use by
clowns. One of the finest of these
was "Olh Dan Tucker" Of pleasant
if incbriatc memory. lis success was
so great that Emmett followed it
with many others. They were all