The Washington herald., 1908-03-08

There seems 70 be much confusion as 10
the origin and growth OF the words and
music OF the most popular song in Amer
ica says writer in the New York Trib-
une- Continuing. he says:
THE other evening half a dozen OF rs
were on the subject. and obtained h:tle
definite satisfaction from reference TO al
the books of music and history available
I know that a large number Of readers
would appreciate full and autheetic ae-
count Of this song. especially as TO
whether the words and music are still the
same as at first written. whether on the
adaptation of the air as a Southern battle
hymn II was set to new words.
Il is a fact that there has been lot
of fiction written about Dixie and the
greater has been the wonder. since. until
four years ago, the author Of both words
and music was still alive 10 repeat. as he
did hundreds OF times. the tale OF how
he came 10 write IT, This author was
Daniel Decatur Emmett. who began his
life at Mount Vernon. Ohio. on October
q. lSlJ. and ended It in his native town
on June Is. 1894 His father was a black
smith, and the boy worked in the smi.iiy,
got a little schooling. learned 10 play the
fiddle, set type in country newspaper
Office. began TO compose tunes. ana be-
come a ffer and drummer in the United
States army. all before he was seventeen
years old 'Old Dan Tucker" which
ought 70 be second in popularity only TO
Dixie was one Of his early Productions
A n sr, 80.
travelled with circuses and gave sketches
in the sldeshows, singing and acting his
own pieces. As early as 1873 he organized
the Virginia Minstrels, which gave enter
tainments az the Chatham Theater. in
New York. and even worked its way 10
London. There disaster overlook it and
Emmett came back 70 New York.
In 1857 Emmett joined Dan Bryants
MinstTels. for which he wrote walk
arounds." which. as the present writer
remembers them. were The concluding act
"a song and dance for the entire com
pany-of the first part OF the programme.
called the "oliO." II was Tor such use
that Dixie was written. The origin of
the term was peculiar TO New York. and
Was derived from boys game. some
thing ike prisoners base. the ground
between the goal lines being known as
"Dixie's Land" The most Widespread
and popular notion has been that the
Dixie of the song being plainly the South
land, the term was derived from Mason
and Dixon's Line. Brewers Dictionary
! of Phrases and Fable" gives an 1Xplana-
tion Of the phrase which is a singular in
version OF that which Emmett himself
was wont 10 tell Says Brewer:
I Dixie Land The Utopia Of the American nigseu
/ isic. Dixie 8 STAKEHOLDER q Manhattan Island
hsat the force Of public Opinion induced aim 20 re
move his negroes TO the Southern Stats Her
| they were strangcrs IN a strange land and had q
wors harder and fare woIse. 30 that they Eer'
always sghIng fer the feshpots Of EsyTT their dea
old Dixie Land. Imagination and distance gau
charms 70 the Old place. which ultimately becam
/ the ideal paradise Of negro sonE.
/ Here The negro slaves who were taken
away are represented as longing Tor the
\ JOYS OF Menhattan-just the opposite is
/ the essence Of the story told Dy Emmett
\ little more than a year before he died
! the old minstrel told the story Of the sons
l 10 reporter OF the Mount Vernon Ban
ner. Il was as follows.
1 ! remember when boy with the circus that th
Performers always spoke q Dixie Land when winfs
( drew near. This came IN be a pan Of the circl
Veruacllar and grew from the conflict which wa
then already being fomeuted on the slavery question
| A mar named Dixie owned a great plantation ul
Manhattan Island When be vas compelled Q,
abandon slavery he took his cSta1es 20 Maryland
/ and thereafter when slave OWnor was CumpelleC
/ to leave the North II came 70 he remarked tha
be vas going 20 Dtzie's land From this the tern
grew until II lost all its proyincialiSm-
Now for the story of how the song came
TO be written. Emmett is the best wit
ness in the case. and the facts as they
were derived from him are pleasantly
given in the book Famous American
/ Songs by Gustav Kobbe:
On Saturday night. September L, iss9 after th
performance, one Of the Bryau;s told Emmett tha
a new walk-around was wanted IN time for re
I hearSsl on Monday. The minstrel replied thar
! while the time very short. he would do hi
best That night. after he reachcG home. he trie,
| 10 hit upon some tune. but the music Houidn'
I morning: he should have the room 70 himself s
that he could work undisturbed. and when he hai
/ finished the walk-around he could play il fer ne
| ss a sole audience II She liked Il the Bryant
/ would, and 80 would the average listener.
| Next day was rainy and dismal Some years be
I fore Emmett had Travelled with circls a. drum
mer. In winter the wam Southern circ1it was
popular route with cirCIs people and those VII
| we're Obliged TO show North would say. when N
/ cold weather would make them shirer. Il wish
| was IN Dixie" The phrase Was, in fact a c,Irren
| circus expression. On that dismal September day
probably the beginning Of the eq1inoctial Whel
I Emmett stored 20 she window and looked ont III
Old longing for the pleasant South came over him
and inEoluntarlly he thought 70 himself. Il wish