The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-09

the writer the story o tSw he came
to write his now celebrated song Il
wrote Dixie like everything else
ever wrote. can tell you
Nilt, that in those days most
OF our songs were composed
without much preparation. but came
TO us as thought | was engaged in the
spring of 1859 at New York City. AZ
Broadway. with Bryants Ministries.
One OF my particular tasks was TO
compose comic negro and plantation
songs. I was also basso in the quartet.
One Saturday night after the per
Torrance. Mr. Bryant overlook me
on my way home and requested me to
compose a new plantation. walk
around one. with a lively tune and
catchy chorus, that the boys could
learn quickly and sing through the
streets, so as to make II popular. Make
1t good and strong. said Bryant. as
he was leaving me We've got to list
new i.traction. NJ
Next day being Sunday, and very
rainy one at that / was compelled to
remain indoors. so / set TO work on
the song At first 1 could do moth
ing. My store of thoughts suitable
for the ~--.red song seemed exhausted.
went to my room window and looked
out into the street.
The cold raip was beating and oriv
ing down. and my thoughts went back
TO the good old White Top days time
when l was travelling with circus.
when caught in inclement weather in
the North. the negroes with the circus
were often wont to wish they were in
Dixie land. Then sentence, 4
wish ! was in Dixie. kept repeating
itself in my mind Discouraged.
went back TO the desk and set II down,
and the rest came easy. In twenty
minutes the words and music Were
complete. and that's the whole truthful
story. Mnt. OF how Dixie came 10 re
written. Dixie was just what Bry-
ant wanted for the next week When
we arrived in New York CITY the boys
were actually whistling 1t In the
streets. 1t made a great hit at once.
and ! sang II every night IT was
composed and sung North at least eigh-
teen months before it was even sung
in the South. when the Confederate
adopted II IS their national song. and
then the South took 1t and claimed II
its own. Dixie undoubtedly pro
loneed the Civil War. 1t made heroes
out OF the rough. undisciplined south
ern soldiers. and when played before
a battle nerved them for the mighty
struggle that was to follow. The ofti-
GERS realized the value of this favor
lite song. and when the men were dis-
heartened and discouraged the band
would strike up Dixie and the hard
ened veterans would be moved to
tears. ready to die for their beloved
Dixie land.
Il being Northern man. good
Unionist, and the proven author OF
both words and music of the song,
was the only man allowed to sing 1t
in any theatre or other place OF
amusement north OF the Mason ana
Dixon line. II is now often sung uni
versaily North, accompanied with as
loud yell as was ever heard in the
South neglected to issua II until II
was claimed as common property by
everybody. After ! had published IL.
had sued for infringement on o,her
peoples rights"
The South did have a sort of claim
upon Emmetts song, nevertheless, tor
he was born of Southern parentage,
even though his birth did take place
Nirginian and his mother Mary
lander.
After his career in negro minstrelsy
he settled down in Ohio. about FIVE
miles south of Fredericktown. in a
lonely little hermitage. and passed
away the last days of his eventful life
Albert G. Hatfield is known TO all
theatregoers the world over as Al c.
Field. the king of the minstrel men.
a man who. through his great efforts
and painstaking attention TO duty has
placed his name on the top round of
the blsZoned ladder of fame & good
pannacle OF manhood. respected by all
competitors as the proper Snowman
criterion to emulate. and It was to
this man that the public should be
grateful In granting the legion of
American friends the chance of once
more seeing good Uncle Dan Emmett.
Mr. Field found him living there In
little inland Ohio town in utter OBJ
SECURITY when in his eighty FIRST year
and took him touring with his greater
minstrel company. Dan Emmett was
one OF the first minstrel organization
in 1913 He lived to see mlnstrelsy
in all It's main phases. from the orig
inal four" to tho famous forty: the
"Christys," Happy Cal wagner's Pom
toons," Sam Sharpley's "Ironclads."
Haveriey's "Mastodons." Hooley and
Emerson's "Megatherians" and Mike
Leavitt's "Gianteans." So YOU can we'll
see that Dan Emmetts star OF great
ness eclipsed them all
September Is, 1889 was the precise
"dNe When DlSle was nrst produced,
at Mechanics Hail, by Bryant's Min
strels, as walk around In their first
part.
Dan Emmett was only seventeen
years old when he left his little Buck
eve home to Join circus as a must
clan and comic singer. Before the birth
of modern minstrelsy ne used to play
banjo In some OF the. New York City
theatres at night.
This was as early is 1872 IT was in.
the next year that Dan" Emmett,
Billy Whitlock. Frank Bower and
Dick" Pelham organized the first
minstrel company in history. Billy"
Whltock always claimed to have con-
ceived the idea, but the organization
itself was completed in Emmett's room
In Catherine street boarding house.
kept by Mrs. Brooks. Their debut was
at the Chatham Theatre, February II.