The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1907-11-15
OLDF0LKS AT HOME
BEL oNcS TOFL0RIDA.
The Suwannse River HOn0Fed-Was
Written BY Foster In 1851.

Written BY Foster In 1851.
The following is from the pen Of Sid
ney Herbert, special correspondent of
the Savannah News
'It-seems to hOfmpossible, even here
in Florida, where the Suwannee river is
located, TO correct the errors into which
writer's have fallen, and still fall, in re-
gard to Stephen Collins Fosters world
famous negro dialect song, old Folks
at Home Recently the Index, of Lake
City, announced that Way Down Upon
the Suwannee River was sung at the
II. ID. G. meeting in that city. Not only
is there no song by that name, but there
is none IN which the words, WAY down
upon the Suwannee river, can be found
and yet the song is often almost al
ways-called Way Down Upon the Su-
wannee River Frederic j. Haskin, the
daily writer for the press, in his ''Fa-
NOUS Songs, SO calls it, but The Con-
federate Song Book of Savannah en-
titles it, 'S'wannee Ribber. In Songs
of the Confederacy, of Paris, KY, it
Is properly called odd Folks at Home
The name of the river upon the old
folks were located by Foster is the Su-
wannee river lin Suwannee mot Suwa-
nee) countySFlorida Foster wrote this
song in 1851, but before locating it he
consulted his brother, asking for some
Southern river of two syllables. Nor
rison suggested Yazoo and Pedee, but
they did not suit. He then consulted an
atlas, and found the Suwannee river,
down in Florida, 20 which Foster joy
fully exclaimed, That's it 7 The Swa-
nee at once struck him as melodious and
flowing, and be then and there lied out
the lines, so often misquoted and made
the title of the song, Way Down Upon
de Swanee Ribber.
NEGLECT SHAMEFUL.
at is a shame that Florida has so long
neglected and misrepresented this IA
nous song, the most popular, the world
over, Of all of Fosters beautiful songs.
Kentucky is notably proud of his My
Old Kentucky Home, and yet it has a
more. local frame, and holds a second
place to Old Folks at Home, that has
been translated into 50 many European
and Asiatic languages and sung by mil
lions of people tie world over. As a
most popular encore it has been sung
by all the great prima donnas that have
appeared on the American stage. The
words and melody are full of tender
sentiments, and as long as the world
WIS p'llk " III ltieRNC iAlltASA NeAl
name of Stephen Collins Foster, its
gifted author He died at Bellevue Hos
pital in New York City in 1864, but was
buried beside his parents graves in Lau-
rencevile (now a part Of Pittsburg,
Pa } and as the coffin was being low
cred into the grave a band played, soft
h and tenderly, Fosters melodies,
Come Where My Love Lies Dreaming
and old Folks at Home. As haye
often stated in these letters, this song
is the negro dialect, and there should be
no excuse for Southern writer's who
change it in any way ! Here is the first
verse just as Foster wrote it A:
"'Way down upon de Swanee ribber,
Far, far away,
Dere's wha ma heart is turning ebber,
Dere's wha de old folks stay.
All up and down de whole creation
Sadly roam,
Still longing for de old plantation,
And de old folks at home.
CHORUS.
"All de world am sad and dreary,
Everywhere / roam.
Oh, darkeys, how my heart grows weary,
Far from de old folks at home. ,"