The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-08-17
THE ORIGIN OF DIXIE"
N New Version of the word ana hs
Dcrivation-.A New Orleans Bank
Was tho Cause Of it's Coinage.

article, traces the derivation OF the
word Dixie" to the notes issued by
tho Citizens Bank Of Louisiana, says
The Bankers Jo,pnal.
The original song, Dixie Land,
was composed in 1859 by Daniel Dcca-
Gur Emmett, as Il waikaround lor
| Bryants miu5trcis, then performing
Emmctts experiences wore varied,
and part Of his life mad been spent
with the circus. lie had Frequently
heard the performers make the re-
mark, 81 wish ! was in Dixie rs soon
as the northern climatic began To be
loo severe for the tent life which they
followed. This expression suggested
the song Dixie Lanu'
1T made hit Is: once with tho play
going public Of Ncw York, and WAS
speedily spread TO all parts Of the
[ union by numerous banCs Of wander
ing minstrcls, who sang and danced TO
1T. In the fall OF le6O Mrs. John Wood
sang 1t in New O'lcans, in John
Brougham's burlc que Of "l'o, ahontas,'
ana ere week had passed the whole
city had taken 1T uU, and the darky on
inc street corner and the banker in his
once were both humming 1t content
cdly. a Now Orleans publisher saw
| possibilities in the music, anu without
inc authority Of the composer had the
air harmOniZ2 2d and rearrangcd, ssu-
ING 1T with words Cmbodying the
strong Southern feeling then existing 10
The chief city In Louisiana.
The word "Dixic" WAS brought into
| national prominence aud usage by
these songs, and, no doubt, prcpetuated
| oy the war song, the air Of which is
| to-uay dear to every Southern L. There
can DC no denying this statement, but
Ihe general impression concerning the
origin OF the word "D.Xie" existing
| outside OF the South, and in many
| parCs ol 1t, is In correct. Naturally the
| popularity OF the work created interest
concerning its origin. The fact that
! Tho term WAS used to Indicate the
states south OF the Mason. ID xon line
the statement publicly mado some
years ago chat "Dixic" sprang from
Dixon. The argument was based
mainly on the alleged similarity Of the
two words, Dixie and Dixon, and
pointed out that the expression "Dixie
Land gradually grow out Of Dixon's
Land a tcrm which, by the way, WAS
never in use. AS result, the real
root Of the word has never before been
made known.
1t is often difficult to trace such y
word back to its first usage and firmly
establish its origin, tut the arguments
in 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 CiliH ms Is B.uk Of Louisiana,
which hnd such an unprecedented cir
cntat'om for % ndmucrof years previous
to the var.
{. W. Cammuck, teller Of the Citi-
z4ns Bank OF Louisiana, was instru
mental IN achieving Tor That bank the
prestige Of larger circula lation than
any other bank Of the South, If not Of
the country. Tho manner in which
the notes o. INC o"nk were brought
INTO almost national clrcuiatlun WAS
hy inviting the steamboat men to
orlnE their irrlE"t Nul checks to the
lit'"ehe oAnN i"r payment. lhcSc
""tS aggregated from - p"u 10 -" 900,
ana tNeS were ScnHra!Iy PAID oy cheek
on some one "' 'nt NUMEROUS oahNs or
n"nNIhE Ho">'s o! ~" ORGANS. II
Wds 0ecl0Cu innovation aud saving
VI 'ltAc an" '"ooF 10 IHc coiiectorS,
WHO II the PAST nad occn oollged to
present ""cA cNcck AZ the particular
oahh upon "hlch IL was ara" H.
In this way the steamboat mon be-
SuiiLS VI : SoV eel ~ W SiiS DIS
the ma j)r part OF the sum Of their c, &C.
tions WAS carried on, Of the city to be
disburscd throughout the Mississipri
val ,cy, in payment ior fuel, wharf
boat dues, stores, wages, port charges.
etc. Thousands upon thousands Of
dollars were taken out Of the city
cv1ry week by packets bound for
pointsOn the Miss ss'ppi, Missouri aud
OMio rivers aud their tributaries, the
Wabash, Ten ncs &c, Arkansas anu Red.
Daring the panic OF 1Sj1 the bank
withstool a two DAYS run upon it and
came out with living colors, while
others fell al about it. This estab
lishcd its credit so iirmlv that one of
its notes was as good as q Rational bank
note is today.
The bank was known both as the Citi-
Zcns' Bank OF Louisiana and La Banouc
dcs Cltovens de lu Louisiana. The de-
nominations OF the notes in English and
French were as follows: Five. cino ::
ten, dix twenty, yingt; fifty, cinuu.