The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1902-12-30

lLt-I LAE LUL AII|I UNAI-f ENNNNA| @ AAttttr-4
little cottage which the paaaerhy woule
give but passing notice, But within
j lhe walls OF this unprefenuo1s little
\ hut dweiis one OF Americas most fam
OILS musicians and song writer's. He Is
Daniel decatur Emmett, best known as
the author oil Dixie" the soul-surring
melody which has served as rallying
song in two Of the worlds greatest
wars
Uncle Dan" as he Is familiarity call
ed, will sit for hours In the doorway Of
his little hermitage. in deep reveries Of
by-gone days, dreaming OF his early
trlals and trlumphs.
Now 81 years OF age. Mr.. Emmett
was born in Morris township Of this
| (Knoxl county in 1915. almost on the
site OF his present little home. Coming
from a family Of musicians. whose
fame is still traditional IN TINS coanty,
be not unnaturally showed at an early
age a remarkable talent for music, II
being said OF him that he was aDle to
pay almost any string instrument at
the age OF a. But his real professional
career as a musician began when a boy
in his teens.
About 1887 said Emmett, Il began
devolved on me daily to present comic
songs with banjo accompaniment. The
songs and music we're OF my own COM
position. Later / and three other
s.sanded musicians sought to make a
living by travelling and giving musical
entertainments. and from those enter
tainments grew the minstreisy as We
know it today. Prior to this time no
Il fan "a
on the stage, although shows frequent.
~ took with them educated negroes 70
sing. dance and entertain in regular
plantation style The minstrelsy, OF
which | am called the father, had its
birth in New York, My three travelling
companions and myself, at my sugges-
tion. blacked our faces with burnt cork
and appeared before our little audience
At first our music did not seem to be
appreciated d suddenly the audience
grasped the novelty and we were com
peiled to play and sing until exhausted.
And since that eyentful night tnat
truly American style Of entertainment
known as the negro minstrelsy is ia
miliar to and loved by every true
American. | was the hrst man 70 black
my race and appear before an audience,
a veritable negro minstrel.
But 1t was in 1883 that / composed
the song that made me at once famous
At that time l was travelling with 81
ants minstrels. and one night as | vas
leaving for my hotel Bryant called 10
ne: We've got to bill some new fec
lures. Dan.' he said. Give US new
walk-around for next week. Make Il
lively, the kind that the bands will
play. and the boys will whistle In the
street
THE next day being Sunday ] was at
liberty to go where l pleased, but tho
day being dismal thought to set p
work at my song. For some time
[ sat at my desk in my close little
room, pen in hand, to write the desired
song. / could do nothing. | went g
The window Of my hotelroom and look
ed out on the street The cold rain
was beating and driving. While stand
ing there, in a deep reverie, / was car
ried back to the time when a mere boy
[ was travelling with the little circus.
when caught in a spell Of inelea.
ent weather ia the North, the negroes
with the circus were wont to wish they
were in Dixie. referring, Of course, 10
the South. Then a line, / wish l wss
in Dixie, kept repeating itself in my
mind. In despair | set it down and the
war song was the result. In twenty
minutes the words and music were
complete.
"The origin Of the word Dixie is
peculiar. But it is no doubt a corrup-
tion of the word Dixon, a man by that
name having established the original
boundary between Maryland and Penn
sylvania, and this Zine afterward mark
ed the boundary between North and
south. Hence Dixie was pet name
Tor the South, and the song having
Deen written on the verge OF the great
rebellion, not unnaturally the South
Immediately claimed it for its own. and
TO this day no song will 50 stir the
neart Of the true Southerner as mis-
beloved Dixie
The song was just what Bryant
wanted. for the next week. when Se
reached New York. the boys were
actually whistling 1t in the streets.
Uncle Dan" has lived in Frederick
Town since his retirement from protes
sional life, and is supported BY he
Actors' Relief association, which makes
aim a weekly allowance. At one timc
he Actors association found him IL
New Orleans, where he was playing his
treasured violin in the wine houses
dis last appearance on the stage was
made with al Fields minstrels at alt
vernon. O.
Emmett has twice been married, hse
present wife having been an eques-
trienne in a circus. At his home he
dmuses himself by raising chickens. IF
which he makes pets. And sometimes
As the sun goes down he may be seea
stroiiing up and down the road befpre
his little hermitage softly hamming
Dixie
Though born and bred in the North,
Mr. Emmett is at heart a Southerner.
His looks. action and speech are all IL
dicatiTe of Southern plantation life,
HIS treasurers. he says. will be given to
some Southern institution. Among his
possessions the most valuable thingB
are his old violin and the original man
uscripf Of Dixie"
During the later years Emmett has
written many songs but utterly refuses
to show them. SO that his death mas
be the birth OF many new and p0puia.
song Cleveland Plain Dealer.
suburbauite-W Well. you have told Ia*
fortune How much7
Gxpss-ouiy 50 cents.
SubuTb1nite-H Here Il Is Eow. t.
tell your fortune f0r nothing H az
Ct my chieifens are misginf to1er.e