The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-05-18
THE GEORGIA SHERIFF
HEARS "DIXIE" IN LONDON

1 from south Georgia still standing with
his hat in his hand watching the singer
with the tears rolling down his cheeks
He seemed dazed and by this time l had
grown quite sufficiently sentimental 10
transform the great wreaths of tobacco
smoke to clouds burstin& forth from
beiching cannon, and the tiny silken
Stars and Ears became an old battle nag
and a young boy in gray was hurrylng
after 1t and all that sort OF thing.
Then In the very midst OF the excite
ment some one yelled speech and was
followed by calls for an explanation. BY
this time the sheriff seemed to wake up
and coming back to the table tried to sit
down But those in the cafe were far
too much Interested and would not permit
It, The sheriff shook his head again and
again until he was almost forced to the
front of the platform.
say, you-an." he finally began and
immedia tely there was quiet and. the
musicians. putting away their instru-
ments leaned forward in attitude OF ex-
pectancy and interest, Il thank you-all,
ladies' an gentlemen, but / amt never
made nc speech in all my life. an /
reckon they amt no man, woman or
child in all this great city of London
what's ever been mo- scared than ] hap
pen to be right now. But If you-alIs
willin' to listen m sho' willtn' TO try
an talk.
I'm from Georgia, south Georgia, an
when l weren't no moren a hey ] was
totin' a gun behind them Stars an Bars
an marchin to the tune of Dixie. An
| wishes to remark right yere that I've
heard that old song played by bands Ie-
turnin' from some engagement where we
all was victorious an I've heard it sung
as a last lullaby by some dyn' comrade
on the battlefield I've heard II played
by the chimes in old St Michaels in
Charleston an I've heard It sung by
women of the south what knew the reai
meanin' of every word, but somehow 1t
appears to me as If l amt never wanted
to hear it like l did after all them other
songs tonight an I'm only waitin' TO
this young lady to get back to America
an come down To Atlanta an I'm sho'
gcin' to bring all the boys in south
Georgia to hear her sing.
'You-all knows the Stars an Stripes.
Well, ! reckon the Stars an Bars is Inc
flag that's melted in. An / reckon, too,
they amt no receipt goin' for maxim
flags like the one in that old Stars an
Stripes When you-au come over from
England you brought with YOU some OF
the cross of ST. George. When the Aus
TRANS come over now they bring some
of their flag. It's the same way with
cur old friend France an with Germany
an all the rest. As TO the old flag |
followed, IS all in with the stars an
Stripes. Our last war proved that. An
50 il | gould only make a speech I'd say
that Old Glory was made up of the
stars an stripes with the Stars an Bars
an the BEST of a hundred other tlass.
Your llass jest melted in an that's why
we-au are proud of our own country an
proud OF you-aIl as kinfo.k.
But while they amt no one lovin'
the stars and Stripes bettern / am, l
amt 70 gettin the old Stars an Bars,
followed EN- SO long. l couldn't bear a
separation. so they've been tolowin me
ever since. an that's why ! had EN- here
tonight An | amt never heard no com
plants from those who fought on the
other side that We-all didn't keep on
fghtin' hard enough an long enough
TO satisfy the very thirstiest Of them
thtrstin' 70 war. an 50 ! reckon both
sides is proud OF the flag that's melted in.
An ! wish ! could tell you-an how
both flags is loved in all Dixieland. A.!
the time she was singin my mem'ry was
trampin around the fields Of the past.
Theys a good many of them that fol-
lowed the old Stars an Bars who'ye
gone into their last camp an somehow
while / was listenin' ii seemed To me as
If [ could Jest naturally see one of these
sleepin' camps half hidden In some grove
of live oaks through which great clusters
of jessamne catch an hold the Georgia
sunshine through the darkness Of the
night. an I could see the wonen of the
south IN the old-fashioned gyardens with
their phox, verbena. bachelor buttons.
biue eyed Susans cosmos an hyacinths
flowers they left 10 follow the flag. An
could smell the magnolia blossoms an
hear the mockin'birds an whip-poor-
wills singn' soft an low when twilight
claims the sIeepln' camp
An jest because I never was far
away from the green fields Of Georgia l
want TO say ] never was 50 close to en-.
/ know ! amt said that right but We
noticed when your heart gets to talkin
you're mighty likely to forget your book
learnin but l reckon you-au knows
what l mean. Anyhow, I want to thank
you-all for the greatest time I ever had
in my life. an if the walters will take
the orders well drink to the stars an
Stripes with the flag that's melted in.
an III deem It a honor to pay the dam
Georgia Legislature 10 do it,"
No use to even try and describe what
followed 1t was nothing if not inter
national and the representatives Of
each country, following the shorffs in
itjative. dubbed together and ordered
drinks for every one and proposed toasts
in which the Stars and Bars We're so
beautifully remembered that the sheriff
issued personal invitations all around the
big cafe for every one TO visit him and
his friends in Georgia.
Bat the best OF It all was when the
leader of the orchestra asked the SHEER
if for his card. And because the man
from south Georgia had none he gave
him the flag for the way he had played
Dixie" And the patriotic traveller, who
wore a Legion Of Honor button said that
the two flags belonged together and gave
him the emblem Of the union
And if YOU Will go into this cafe now
YOU will ind the Stars and Stripes hang
ing on the wall. and just below, the
Stars and Bars. with placard lettered
by a well known artist. who was pres
ent: