The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1902-07-18

FACTS
...AND...
~FANCIES~
~
CORRESPONDENCE FROM TENNESSEE
BY WILL T. HALE.

Wv
| its scene is laid back in the Ku-Klux
days.
Judge Tyler is pleasing writer, and
his book will no doubt meet with a
fattering reception.
/ Popular Tennessee writer's are not
few now. Among the writer's of fiction
who have published readable works
lately are Harrison Robertson, now of
the Louisville CONFECTIONERY; Miss
Murfree; Miss Dromgoole; Mr.. and
Mrs. Walker Kennedy; Mrs. Grace
MCGOWAN Cooke; Mr.. John Trotwood
Moore, and Mr. Walter Malone.
By the way, have just been remind
ed of a native of this State who won
considerable celebrity away from home
but who is hardly remembered or
known here. This was Joseph Brad
ford" and he was a decided genius.
He was born near this city in 1843,
and died in Boston in 1886; and his
real name was William Randolph Hun
ter. He was appointed to the United
States naval academy in 1859, but did
not take a full course. Three years
later he entered the navy and served
with distinction until 1864, when he
resigned on account of illness. He
first appearance in Baltimore, assum-
ing the name of Joseph Bradford
Bradford having been his mothers
maiden name.
He remained upon the stage several
years, during which time he was con-
nected with stock companies in Phila-
delphia, Baltimore and Boston.
Though he achieved considerable
reputation in the profession, especially
in a certain type of eccentric light
comedy, which he played with great
delicacy and beauty, his natural bent
was towards literature.
The last fifteen years of his life were
mainly passed in Boston, and were de-
voted to dramatic, journalistic and gen.
eral literary work. Among his most
successful plays were Our Bachelors"
"One of the Finest" and "The Che
rubs." All had long runs, and the first
two are popular.
He was a considerable humorist-
his humor being exemplif1ed in a Sc
ries of satirical verses, mostly politi |
cal, published in Boston papers.
Some of his serious poems, notably |
those on the death of Victor Hugo, |
Vice-President Thomas A. Hendricks |
and Gen. Grant, were widely copied. |
"A OIL MS poems was 6u1L0Q
by his widow after his death.
Author of Dixie.
In 1895, while employed on the edi-
torial staff of the Memphis Commercial
Appeal, 1 formed the acquaintance of
Daniel D. Emmett, the author of
Dixie" He was then 80 years of age,
but sprightly. This notice Of the ia
nous Ohio author of the loved South
ern song will be appreciated by hun
dreds of Tennesseans-it is from the
pen of a leading minstrel: while
playing an engagement at Mount Yer
non, O., l strolled out to the home of
the author of Dixie who lives in an
though neat little cottage sit
uated about a mile and a half from
town on the old Mansfield road. l
found the old minstrel feeding a flock
Of chickens, and | at once made myself
known. His greeting was most cordial.
He invited me into the house and in
troduced me to his wife, who takes as
much interest in conversing about the
old-timers as he does himself. For a
while our conversation conferred on
dear old New York, and, as l told him
Of the advancement of the great me-
-ropolis since the palmy days when he
was connected with Dan Bryant's min
strels, away back in the sos, he be-
came much interested. Then we drift
I'd into the minstrel world and it was
L pleasure to see his face light up as
;ond memories of the good old times
we're brought to his mind. Among
hose he seemed most interested in
we're such old-timers as Pell and Trow-
bridge, the Morris brothers, Eph Horn,
Sam Sanford, Billy Emerson, Sam
Bill Arlington, Eugene Uns-
worth, Mat Peel, J. R. Doniker, Dan
Rice, Birch Wambold and Backus, Lew
simmons, Dave Reed and last, but not
east, Tony Pastor, a dear friend of his.
During our conversation 1 asked him
low he came to write Dixie He said
hat in 1859 he was with the old Stick
ley circus, which travelled mostly in
he South. Occasionally they would
lrift toward the North, and as nights
we're somewhat cooler than in the
south, especially in the fall of the
ear. the canvasmen were often heard
o remark, 4 don't like this cold
weather., 1 wish 1 was in Dixie mean
ng the South. After a while L wish l
7as in Dixie came to be a byword with
he circus, so one afternoon after the
performance Dan Emmett sat down
nd wrote the first verse of Dixie
which, by the way, 1 have on the back
f his photograph that he gave me p
With his autograph. 1 have read sew
raj articles concerning the origin Of
Dixie but as had the foregoing from ]
is own lips, it should settle all argu.
nent as to the origin of this classic
mong American songs. He also gave
ne permission to use his photograph.
o illustrate my recitation, DO You ,
the Profession, and as he is =.
ne of my principal characters, prize
very much. l felt greatly disap-
ointed when 1 asked him to take his
iolin and play Dixie for me, and he
aid that he had been compelled to
ispose of that violin, not on account
f financial difficulties, but because he i
Tas continually annoyed by passers-by c
Tho would stop and prevail upon him
o play Dixie for them. 1t became
He said he had often
layed twenty times day. He walks Q
nto town two or three times a week to 1
ct the papers and chat with the old I
ettlers. l asked why he selected a
ONE so far from city life, and his
nswer was, Well, my boy, l was born
ere, and here l want to die He was l
hen SO years OF age v