The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-12-23
Dan Emmetf's Rasor the Property
OF a Birmingham Physician
Unwrtten Chapter in the Life of the Famous Composer
Dixie" and of His Comrade, the Renowned Billy
Lawrence, Original Black Ministries.
BY HUGH w. ROBERTS.

The razor with which Dan Emmett kept
his face free of beard way back in the
4Os is in Birmingham today, the prop
erty of Dr. Frank Gaines Grace.
The story of how the razor passed from
the hands of Emmett into those of his
companion and friend. Billy Lawrence,
and from the care of Lawrence to that If
DR.. Grace, Is an interesting bit of un-
written history in the life of the famous
composer of Dixie" and the original
blacl, minstrel
The fact that Emmett and Lawrence
were the original black Ministries, and
that their performances in $40 delighted
thousands throughout the south and
north, is we'll known history. Dan En-
nett, in addition to his splendid singing
and original jokes, became famous as an
expert heater of bones" while Law
rence's clear baritone voice and his in
imitable performances ON the tamborine
made him renowned.
Both of the characters now famous, are
dead. Lawrence being the last to cross
the divide. On his deathbed, he gave DIR.
Grace, then a medical student in Chicago,
the razor used for years by his probably
more famous contemporary, Dan Emmett,
the composer of Dixie the national air
of the south, and perhaps the most pop
ular American air ever written.
From the "reminiscences of Lawrence,
Emmett. while naturally sweetly disposed
possessed a temper that frequently made
unpleasant scenes. 1t so happened that
once upon time, Emmett got possess
sion of Lawrence's razor, while Law
renee, in turn. had Emmett's.
There followed a violent outburst of
temper on the part of Emmett. The razors
were very much alike, so much so that it
was difficult to tell them apart. 1t seems
that after the dispute over the trivial
matter had lasted for several days, EN-
NETT established his claim TO the razor
held by Lawrence on account of mark
on the handle. Lawrence readily yielded
the razor to its owner, and received in
turn his own.
On the day following the two friends
made up the quarrel and on a sugges-
ton of Emmett's they agreed to exchange
razors. This was shortly after the two
famous minstrel men had decided to part
company. Lawrence held to his gift from
Emmett until he died. AS stated, on his
deathbed he gave Dr. Grace Emmetts
razor. DIR. Grace has the razor in Biz
mingham, and keeps it in the glass case
surgical instruments.
The sister of DIR. Grace is the wife of
Billy Lawrence's son, and the couple live
in Chicago. Until he died. Lawrence lived
with his children. While attending the
Northwestern university in Chicago, DR..
Grace boarded with his sister and her
husband, and there met the elder Law
renee, and became warmly attached to
him.
Dr. Grace states that Lawrence was
man of splendid intellect, and that in
spite of his age, he lived in the present,
and in the future, that his references to
the past were infrequent. However, when
he was induced to tell of his early life,
his stories of Emmett, of the original
minstrel show, of the birth of Chicago,
and other contemporanoeus event. were
most interesting. The house in which the
old man and wife lived in Chicago, at
the corner of State and Madison streets,
now "the busiest corner in the world, :"
could have been purchased for $500. Law
renee did not think well of the invest
ment and lost the opportunity of be-
coming a very wealthy man.
DR.. Grace attended Mr. Lawrence in
his last Illness and his refusal to ac-
cept monetary compensation fretted the