The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-10
m SANG rrlRn, AT MoBILn AND
A1 Fielau, fn brkfng for Tie Authern Menanefrells of rmmett's
 trip t65e h Which he

The moveht tnaugsrated at Mem
 phis to erda monument to Daniel
 Decatur Emit, author of the immor-
 tal Dixie. created . new interest
 in the soi and it's origin. Al G.
 Field. the tstrei man. who discover
 cd EmmetFing in retiremen in Mt.
 Vernon. c nearly forgotten, and
 took him . farewell tour of the
 country v the closest friend of
 Emmett ihis declning years. To
 him Emm often talked of the in-
 spiration begot Dixie. of the years
 of close lociation with his subject
 before ththeme was written and of
 the first bentations of the song. But
 as Is gdally known among those
 who asshted with Emmett, his
 memory D faulty at the last and his mental tord deficient. Therefore
 much okhe information that has
 been phulgated concerning the south's eatcst folk lore piece was dug fro other sources.
 In tn connection Mir. Field who tD actiy engaged in the memorial movem1 has discovered interesting facts pIaining to the song. Accord inG tohe oft repeated statements of Emit the first production of the song ' on Broadway. New York, in Novenf 1853, while the author was with kant's Minstrels, then a To- cated iupe. Developments have lead investitors to believe that this state- ment ks at fault and that the song was fen public hearing In the south somefe before this date. 1t Is mat ter ohcord this is the date. it Is mat was bt published. This Is the per- sonatelief of Al G. Field. who has spenmuch time looking into the matt though he has been unable to f an authentic record of a pre- vioupresentation. Mir. Field has the protm of the Bryant performance andle appearance then is still further authticated by programs and news paT clippings in the possession of Corr. Al1ston Brown.
 Emmett's Own story.
 rmett's own story, told to MT. ml is to the effect that Dan Bryant VI desireous of a new walk-around al dance to conclude his show. Elm q was given from Saturday night til the following Monday in which tcomplete his work. Emmett stated had played the air of Dixie for Arly year previous it having en popular with him dur g his southern tour pre- ous to the New York opening. On is dull November Sunday in New ,rk the verse that has gone into story as symobiIcal of land. the ords that have stirred royal hearts almost every civilized strand, were ritten. It's production that follow g day was met with instantaneous ccess.
 Lately a writer in The New York erald claims that the song had no ,plication to the south but referred
 a farm on Long Island which had len named Dixie. In the light of bsequent information unearthed this aim is known to be ridiculous. Among writers and publishers 1t has 'er been a source of mystery that
 the song was first produced in sw York in the fall of 1859 how It came so immensely popular over the hole south little more than a lar later. Many persons living con- nd that the song was well known the south even before the vii war. This statement has been ade so often to MT. Field that he has en forced to the opinion that Elm cit sang the song in his travels be- re the produced 1t in New York ty.
 While in Memphis. Tenn. recently 6 minstrel discovered evidence which nvinces him Dixie was sung in the uth before it was heard In New ,rk. Prof Herman Arnold. the em- ent musician. formerly of Mont 'mery, Ala. Is still living in Memphis Id states that Emmett, with a com my of minstreis, visited Montgomery Ia. in January 1859 and that Elm ett played and sang Dixie. The states that he became so ken with the melody that he re- tested copy of the music. Emmett | A ho..