The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-07-06
AUTHOR OF DIXIE"
IS GROWING FEEBLE.
Daniel Decatur Emmett, Famous as a Minstrel in His Day. Is Pass
ing the Closing Years of a Long Life at Mount Vernon.
Where He Owns 4 Comfortable Home.
SAYS He IS NOW WAITING FOR THE LAST CURTAIN.

mount vernon. o., July 5.-In n H-tIe
frame house that is hardly moe than q
nut Just over Cerseiery Hu. I milo north.
Daniel Decatur Emmett. the author a
inc famous song. Dixie" Is surnGirS the
closing years Of = long life. The aged mill
stse'S wants are few. his tastes are sim
PIE. and h locke u7on his little home "a 4
palSce- The diElingiive house stands IN the
ceatcr OF al acre plot OF grounI. Il faces
The cast. and the "f=9at yard slopes gently
but uHevculy down TO the dusty north and
i south road. oyer which the stage caach-s
made regular trips between Mount Vernon
and Mansfield when Uncle Dan was n boy.
The house has but three rooms; a living
room. = bedroom and n kitehcn-and tn n
there's m attic which Mr.. Emmett calls
the Hes The furniture Is OF the simplest
kind. Most q It Is oId-rashioneG. but t IS
dear TO Uncle Dams heart. although his
VIE, who Is HIS second. and much Younger
than re. would prefer something more pre-
t%entions. The Furnishings. too. are anti
Guarei. n the walls are well uich hare:
but the cottage Is not uutidv. and withil
has m air Of h0uely comfort Chickens
wander NJ will ahc-. the yard. and throuch
the kitchen ard Iiy:nE-room. They are not
allowed 20 invade the bedroom. The cat and
the dor. animals treated right royalty ~
n~e!Ehhors and visitors. FOR the sake OF thei-
master, live On terms Of am!ty and equality.
Uncle pan Il Happy.
In winter Uncle Dams GomicIle locks
bleak and uliagir!nc. IN summer Il stanls
uushadcd from the glare 81 the sun. II f.
only in the spring ari fall that the ru--
rcuGGln=s have the appearance q comfort.
But Uncle Dan IS supremacy happy in this
humble home.
I've roameI 4 great deal" s.iI he. and
I've made !ots Cf money and s-eDt g.. I
ought 70 have taken care OF u. AMI maybe
now" with = groI twist al the mouth AMI
a wink. ia be = trust naElate. But
really / love my little home. ard the only
la - my happiness is that sometimes 7
hear the distant barking Of the Oh WOLF
that ;grr:fes oh axe; and then. too. peoTls
think ana say that I ought sometimes 20
dress UT"
Dressing Up Il really about the only
thing that parial Emmett drseds. \ few
years ago n noted minstrel manager. Al q.
Field. who was about 10 tour the South.
offered Uncle Dan an engagement. The old
minstrel was 20 ride in a carriage In me
parade. He was 10 wear a dress suit Of
evenings. and appear on the stage after
the first part and be introduced a. the
author % Dixie" All the remainder OF
the day was 20 be his. With money 20 spend
in moderate sums. his salary 10 be paid him
at the end Of his tour.
Uncle Dan accepted the engagement. and
IN ms fnc clothes carried himself as Inc
gentleman that he always is. 70 matter
what his dress: but when he came nome at
the end o. the season with n fairly snug
SUN Of money in his pocket. he very
promptly discarded all the ;ailOr-made
clothing with which he had been provided
and returned tn the ''ha~nd-me-dOwns" he
had previously worn. And had Il not been
that household expenses consumed his
funds and i,sJ him without money 10 re-
plerish his wardrobe. these good clothes
had probably been hanging in his narrow
'ci0thes press to-day
80 More Real MInstreIs-
TacI, Dan declares that the DsEstrels Of
to-day do not put a=y real lie into their
ballad singing. and that the negro skits in
tr0ducei after the o!iO are tiresCme.
Pack in my day" he said. I'VE went at
IL To- he rs near IKE tho plantation negro
as We could. ard when we sang ballads We
sentiment and feeling into them. Tn
c,e Dan admitted that some OF the fea- |
lures % . modern minstrel Performance
were pretty and clever. but insisted that
the shows 10 not now merit the tl;le Of
They are. lie decllrss. nothing !
\ refined imitation OF the Old variety I
shows.
,Ir. Emmetts last appearance on the (;
stage was made two winters ago. when
the i1caI EIi:s gave a minstrel perform
aEce. ard Dan agreed to be present and .