The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-19

A. Pond & Co.,, successors of Firth. Pond
 So.' as stated by Emmett and sub , slanaiated by another copyright piece of iuusic I4.s on my desk, bearing date of 1865. uoei thls title the words and music Haxe been published to this day.
 III the autumn and winter of 1895, En- iieee traveled through the south with uhe Al. G. Fields minstrels and was ev- sryWhere recognized as the author of Dixie As such he was introduced to large audience in Nashville, by the !aee e4en' John B. Gordon, who declared euat ne was without question entitled to thls distinction. As such he was hon. oreu with reception by the daughters or Ihomas F. Bayard, ex-seoretary of state and ambassador to England. Here was great opportunity for the friends or Mccarthy to put forth their claim while Emmett was living and able to speak for himself After this tour general Gordon honored the aged min strel with personal visit at his humble cottage near Mount Vernon, Ohio.
 Another Pseudo-author.
 This is not the first time that a question has been raised in regard to the authorship of Dixie The song was once printed by P. P werlein of New Or leans. Emmetts publishers promptly mo-
 AhU1 lc Wdo pll lHiAio OAiS SA their copyright pieces. At a convention Of music dealers in New York the claims or Emmett were presented by attorneys Tor his publishers and by Emmett him self. So overwhelming was the proof that Werlein who had been imposed upon by a pretended author, came forward and publicly recognized Emmett's claim to original authorship.
 Emmett was born near Mount Yer l.. tlNA nY nv at the age of IT years as a fifer, and served a full enlistment. Here he had thorough instruction in instrumental music, which he afterward continued un- der Edward Kendall, who had charge of Spalding & Rogers circus band. He wrote the words and music of many songs that were published and of hun dreds that were not published He was a fine singer and an expert player on the fife and violin In the large collec- tion of manuscript that he left is much additional evidence to sustain his title to the authorship of Dixie To present this, as occasion may seem to demand, will be the pleasure of the friends of the modest and venerable Buckeye minstrel, who was recently laid to rest while hearts were touched by the strains of mukic that had brought the sleeper an immortality of fame"
 Emmett, two or three years ago, gave the following account of the origin of "Dixie:"
 T remember when a boy with. the cir GUS that the performers always spoke of Dixie land when winter approached and the season for a tour in the south drew near. This came to be a part of the cir GUS vernacular, and grew from the con- fict which was then already being fo- mented on the slavery question. man named Dixie owned a great plantation on Manhattan Island. When he was compelled to abandon slavery he took his estates to Maryland, and thereafter, when a slaye-owner was compelled to leave the north, 1t came to be remarked that he was going to Dixic's land. From this the term grew until it lost all it's provineialism
 ''Yes, a rainy day had much to do with the composition of the song. l was playing with Bryant's minstrels at 40 Broadway, in the spring of 1S59 l had written a number of walkarounds and choruses, among them Old Dan Tucker so that when Neil Bryant came to me after the performance one Saturday night and asked me to write a new walk around, I thought the request nothing unusual Uncle Dan, he said, I want you to compose a new walkaround one that the boys will whistle and the bands play in the street, something with lots of melody in it.