Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-08-13
Miseellameous &eaaimg.
THE AUTHOR OF DIXIE.

Uncle Dan Emmett II Now In Feeble
| Health.
In little frame house that Is hardly
more than a hut, just over Cemetery
Hill, near Mount Vernon, O., Daniel
Decatur Emmett, the author of the ia
nous song, Dixie" is spending the
closing years Of a long life. He Is now
quite feeble.
The aged minstreps wants are few,
his tastes are simple and he looks upon
his little home as palace. The dimin-
uitive house stands in the centre Of an
acre plat Of ground. 1t faces the east,
and the front yard" slopes gently but
unevenly down to the dusty north and
south road, over which the stage
coaches made regular trips between
Mount Vernon and Mansfield when
"Uncle Dan" was boy.
The house has but three rooms-a liv-
ing room, a bed room and a Kitchen
and then there's an attic, which Mr..
Emmett calls the "fies." The furni-
ture is Of the simplest kind. Most Of
it is old fashioned, but 1t Is dear to
Uncle Dams" heart, although his wife.
who Is his second, and much younger
than he, would prefer something more
pretentious.
The furnishings, too, are antiquated,
and the walls are we'll nigh bare; but
the cottage Is not untidy, and within
has an air Of homely comfort. Chick
ems wander at will about the yard. and
through the kitchen and living rooms.
They are not allowed to invade the
bedroom. The cat and the dog, animals
treated right royalty by neighbors and
visitors. for the sake Of their master,
live on terms Of amity and equality.
In winter Uncle Dan," domicile looks
bleak and uninviting. In summer it
stands unshaded from the glare Of the
sun. 1t is only In the spring and fall
that the surroundings have the ap.
pearance Of comfort. But "Uncle Dan"
is supremely happy in this humble
home.
1--WE roamed a great DEAL" said he,
land I've made lots Of money and spent
it. 7 ought to have taken care Of it.
and maybe now" with a droll twist
Of the mouth and a wink) 'I'd be a
trust magnate. But really, love my
little home, and the only bar to my hap
piness Is that sometimes hear the dis
tant barking of the old wolf that terri
fies old age; and then too, people think
and say that I ought sometimes to
dress up"
Dressing up" is really about the only
thing that Daniel Emmett really
breads. A few years ago a noted min
strel manager, AL G. Field, who was
about to tour the south, offered Uncle
Dan an engagement. The old minstrel
was to ride in a carriage in the parade.
He was to wear dress suit Of even
ings, and appear on the stage after the
first part and be introduced as the au-
thor of Dixie" All the remainder Of
the day was to be his, with money to
spend in moderate sums, his salary to
be paid him at the end Of his tour.
Uncle Dan accepted the engagement.
and in his fine clothes carried himself
as the gentleman that he always is, no
matter what his dress: but when he
came home Mt the end Of the season
with a fairly snug sum Of money in
his pocket, he very promptly discarded
all the taiormade clothing with which
he had been provided and returned to
the hand me downs" he had previous
ly worn.
And had it not been that household
expenses consumed his funds and left
him without money to replenish his
wardrobe, these good clothes would
probably be hanging in his narrow
CLOTHES press today.
| Uncle Dan declares that the minstrels
of today do not put any real life into
their ballad singing. and that the Me-
gro skits introduced after the olio are
tiresome.
Back in my day." he said, 1--WE tried
to be as near like the plantation Negro
as we could. and when we sang ballads
we put sentiment and feeling into
Them" Uncle Dan admitted that some
of the features Of the modern minstrel
performance were pretty and clever.
but insisted that the shows do not now
merit the title of minstrels. They are,
he declares, nothing but refined imi-
tation of the old variety" shows.
Mr.. Emmett's last appearance on the
stage was made two winters ago, when
the local Elks gave minstrel perform
ance, and Dan agreed to present and
sing Dixie" his favorite composition.
The opera house was packed from Or
chestra to ceiling. The performance
proceeded with great success until the
cue for Uncle Dams appearance was
g.ven.
AS he walked out upon the stage,
straw hat in hand, and, bowling at every
step, the performers and audience arose
and a mighty shout went up. AS the
applause died away the orchestra play
ed the opening bars Of Dixie" and
then began again, but Uncle Dan was
silent. Again the leader Of the orches-
ira started the world-known tune, but
the writer of it did not respond.
He stood with bowed head and eyes
cast down, as if unconscious Of his sur
roundings. The interlocutor, himself a
vocalist of no mean ability, began to
sing the words of Dixie" and was
joined by others on the stage and in the
audience.
| Suddenly Uncle Dan seemed to