Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-05-18

Look away. &c.
Den hoe it down an scratch yer grabble
TO Dixie Land I'm bound to trabble.
Look away! &C.
The original song "DiXie Land" was
composed in 1859 by Daniel Decatur En-
NETT. as a "walk-around' for BryantS
minstrels, then performing I'm Mechanics
Hall New York Mr.. Emmetts expert
ences were varied, and part Of his life
had been spent with the circus. lie had
frequently heard the performers make the
remark Il wish [ was in Dixie" AS
! soon as the northern climate began to be
too severe for the tent life which they
followed This expression suggested the
song pixie Land"
1t made a hit at once with the play
going public Of New York. and was speed
fly spread to all parts OF the Union by
numerous bands of wandering Ministries.
who sang and danced to it. In the fall
of 1860 Mrs. John Wood sang it in New
Orleans in John Brougham burlesaue
| Of "Pocahontas," and ere week had
passed the whole city had taken 1t up,
and the darby on the street corner and
the banker i'm his Office were both hum
| ming il contentedly. A New Orleans
/ publisher saw possibilities in the music,
and without the authority of the COM
poser. had the air harmOnized and re-
arranged. issuing it with words embody-
| ing the strong southern feeling then eX-
isting in the chief city in Louisiana. =,
! fate of hundreds of other popular
! songs. but for this. The original words.
which are printed at the beginning or
! this article, rapidly gave way when the
war broke out to the thrilling Dattle-
| song composed by General Albert PIKE,
| Of ArkGnsas and they have since be-
/ come almost lost to view. Several sets
| Of words were, from time to time, during
; its popularity. set to the music. winch
! doubtless is from the Scotch. The words
/ South
! fore and during the war, and to-day oc-
| cupy a permanent place among the I'M
mortal songs of the land The first verse
! Is typical Of the entire eight:
! SOuthrOns hear your country can you,
/ In, lest worse than death befal you!
TO arms To arms To arms in Dixie!
| LO! all the, beacon fires are lighted,
! Let all hearts be now united,
TO arms To arms. To arms In Dixie
| Chorus.
Advance the flag of Dixie Hurrah. Hur
rah!
The word Dixie" was brought into
| national prominence and usage by these
songs. and, no doubt, perpetuated by the
war song the air Of which IS to-day dear
J 20 every sOutherner. Previous 10 lnelr
/ advent the word had been used TO indi-
! cate the Southland only by few, ana N
! no sense was the term famlliar' OF Us
/ usage general There can be no DENYING
! this statement; but the general impress
| sion concerning the origin Of the word
| pixie" existing outside Of the South and
in many parts OF IL Is Incorrect. Natural
~. the popularity Of the word created
/ interest concerning its origin. The fact
| that the term was used 10 indicate the
/ States south Of the MasOn-DiXOn line has
! led 10 the general acceptance OF the state
| ment publicly made some years ago that
! Dixie" sprang from Dixon" The argu-
ment was based mainly on the alleged
similarity Of the two words, Dixie and
| Dixon. and pointed out that the express
sion Dixie Land gradually grew out Of
"Dixon's land term which. by the
| way was never in use. AZ a result. the
real root of the word has never before
| been made known.
1t is often difficult 10 trace such a
| word back to its first usage and firmly es-
tablish its origin; but the arguments N
the present instance. however, are both
conclusive and convincing, and leave no
room for reasonable doubt that the term
Dixie Land" sprang from the ten-dollar
| note Dix" issued by the Citizens Bank
| of Louisiana which had such an unprece-
dented circulation for a number OF years
| previous TO the war. The story u not a
long one and in addition to It's historical
| siPnih "ance. " cannot IAN 70 DC OF nlucn
interest, for the word Dixie" has grown
mo selteIiu usage. not only In this cOun-
! try but throughout the world.
In the days OF State banks their notes
| suffered a discount in other states Owing
| IN the opportunity offered TO counterfeit,
FOR with such a large variety I'm crcula-
ton il was difficult TO identify them and
TO discover whether they were genuine
or wild cat Some idea is gained OF
what this Identification meapt when you
learn that a paper called the Bank-Note
Reporter was published for the sole pur-
pose OF describing the rates of the most
reputable banks, some !. 100 in number, 10
aid I'm the identification or their Noes.
In consequence the managers OF every
state bank did all in their power to en-
large the circulation OF their banks. W
enabled them 10 increase their loans, and
with currency widely distributed. the
dangers attending ''rnn" were material
| In lessened.
| - W rammack teller OF the Citizens