The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-12
FINE WORDS FOR OLD DIXIE
daughters of the Confedcracy Offer
Prize for Poem.

VIC IleEIN 1llSIIIlHS.
r mas o, tne power TO arouse enthusiasm as
,r M pinsr ar. and no celebration OF q pa
plays psiee fgSmp'ets s d6bta az 'e one
person IN a hundred knows moro than
s .ne chorus of the famous Southern war
sns iea m th RS'e { the S't co isI SSn
, ,ers ne /. py the Alabama Division, Daugh-
s TbS for IN. op s1federae' which = respSn
OF O., d@D1ixle'.is Inadequate and having come
. 20 t1at conclusion they have set about
, ,iney are soliciting from Southern talent
ines mes 70 fit the tune. Committees have
pc submitted and the result OF these so.
iicGiaions VIII be offered for the honor Of
fnG sung to the tune Of the ne mmor.h
ters Of the Confederacy, to be held in
charleston next fall
WORDS FORGOTTEN.
One of the chief movers in this scheme
or poad ~ p Of pS Xa seH Mrs
summers s,,,i s. ago. when this lady was stop.
IN n1lmg at Cl,autalqua at large assembly
s slf attended, TENDED. after the audience singing
struck up Dixie" But no one knew the
words OF the song, 50 dear to Southern
l hiGarss ana the result was that The band
J'osSu dlplts. AlIeTWHEu inc SDuLIcfIleIS
together the ra thel desultory coupleta
wnich = were remembered by certain mem;
nTfs q ths apt s but these were pasnea
refined and unworthy. The Southern vls-
itors felt rather ashamed OF their isnor.
nnce regarding their beloved song. and
also Of the inadeauaoy Of the words
Another plea for reconstructed Dixie"
Is that there are several versions. There
are at least two Very well known ana any
number OF adhptatlons from these.
LIKE THE CHORUS.
Many Alabama women think that the
chorus is satisfactory. 1t is the famil-
lar
"Den wish / was in Dixie.
Hooray! hooray
n Dixie land III take my stand,
Away, away! Away down South In
VIII, apear to suit the merry air better ,r
that the verses lack dignity and stabil-
iy.. 1t is really the air which is dear
to the hearts OF the Southerners; It was
aThe reHI' BE us a Hot rime s in me the s Old
Town Tonight which. whenever he
Quicker through the Veins Of every = Rough
Rider who was ut the charge of Cl
Cnney., Daniel Decatur, Emmet was the
original composer Of Dixie" He was an
Ohio man and n minstrel. and while the
Alabama women who are Interested in
giving to the public a new Dixie &C
knowledge the first debt to him; they
think the words somewhat too trivial.
MADE BY SOLDIERS.
Most OF the Two versions of 'DiXie' are
approximations of soldiers in camp, who
remembered parts, OF their beautiful f r]I1
song and gathered around the camp fires
at might. sang in honortof that home.
But through It's many versions the ,o words
ten. and it is the desire of the Alabama
women who have taken the :, matter matte ! IN
tie fire and strength and Inspiration
born of the war times. that. will be pa
triotic and that VIII have the stability
It is an inspiring subject for. Southern
minstrelsy but even ! no decision is
reached, the action of the Alabama
Daughters is one whcl, should be com
mendcd; II for no other reason than by
calling attention to the fact that
the song is becoming obsolete. they
will in measure arrest that tendency.
Z p ,la