Live Oak daily Democrat. (Live Oak, Fla.) 190?-190?, 1907-11-09
CONCERNING THE OLD SONG.

county. with the romantic old river
of that name ripping along our Dor
ders, that we should get right about
Fosters world famous song and at
least sing it in the dialect in which
it was written and give il its proper
name. Major Sidney Herbert, of
Maitland, in this state, most accurate
of historians and thoroughly inform
ed on this particular subject, has the
following in the Savannah News,
which will be read with interest by
those among US who are not indifer-
ent To. the beautiful melody that has
carried%he name and fame of our
river rouA the earth;
1T seen to be. impossible even
here in Florf z, where the suwannee
river is located to correct the errors
into which writ prs have fallen, and
still fall. in regaF to stephen Collins
FosterS~xorld-fahe Ous negro dialect
song, Old NolkSIat Home" Only
last week Nhe Index of Ike City All
nounSed THAI Way Ddda Upon the
SuwanAse River" was 5hng at the [.
d. c. meeting n that 4 y. Not only
is there no>NpnA by II at name, b'1:
there is none in<EAich words Way
down upon the Suwan1 be river" can
be found; and yet the 81 pg is often
almost always called WAY DOVE
ITDOD the SuwanDee River Fred
erick J. Haskin, the daily writer for
the press. in his Famous Songs" so
calls it, but The Confederate Song
Book" OF Savannah entities it "Swa-
nee Ribber" In Songs of the Con-
federacy," of Paris, Ky, ii is prop
erIy called old Folks at Home" The
name of the river upon which the
old folks were located by Foster is
mot Suwanee) county, Florida Eos
ter wrote this song in 1851, but be-
fore locating it he consulted his
brother, asking for the name of some
Southern river of two syllables, MOI
rison suggested Yazoo and Pedee. bril
they did not suit He then consulted
an atlas and found the Suwannee
river. down in Florida, to which Eos
ter jOyfully exclaimed, That's it,
The Swanee at once struck him a:
meIodious and flowing, and he theT
and there filled out the line. so often
mis1Huoted, and made the title of IN,
song Vay down upon de Swane,
ribber."
1t is a shame that Florida has 81
long neglected<and misrepresentaC
this famous song NE MOST popular
the world over of all II Fpster's beau
tiful songs. Kentucky is notabl,
proud of%Shis My 0d Kentuck,
Home" andNyet rt-nas a more Ioca
fame, and holds a secOrh place t,
odd Folks at Home" @nly a few
months ago Kentucky unveiled
handsome frOpumenf\ ton Foster
memory, yet Florida shaRefNlly neg
Iects to honor and keep unihpaire'
the misnamed and mutilated OK
Folks at Home" that has been trans
lated into many European and Asiatl'
languages and sung by millions G.
people the world over. As a mos
popular encore it has been sung b,
all the great prima dOnnas that hav'
appeared on the American stage. Tn,
words and melody are full of tende
sentiments. and as long as the worl'
lasts this song will make immorta
the name of stephen Collins Foster
its gifted author. He died at Belle
vue Hospital in New York city. in )
ga. but was buried beside his parent
graves in Laurenceyille (now par
of Pittsburg. Pa and as the coihT
was being lowered into the grave
band played. softly and tendcrIE
Fosters melodies, Come Where Ny
Love Lies Dreaming" and old Folks
at Home" As | have often stated
in these letters, this song is in the
negro dialect, and there should be nc
excuse for Southern writer's Who