The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-02-21
MI. Vernon Man Near Scene
Of Mexican Revolt
But Now In The Land Of
Perpetual Summer
Expects To Return Home
Early In March
Los Angeles, CAL. Feb. Is, 1911.

Editor Banner:
In accordance with promise made
over the wire. pen you just few
hasty lines from this city of flowers
and blossoms, oranges and lemons
where the days are as bright and plea
SAINT as a May day in the good old
town of Mt. Vernon in the good old
state of Ohio, that has many son
and daughter here that now and then
look wlstfully back TO the days that
they dwelt in the land Of the Buckeye.
l have been on the ego" since Jan
uary 80, through many states and ov-
er many miles of railroad. / can only
note a few incidents that may inter-
est you readers
In New Orleans, by request of Col
Young, Vice President of the CommeI
cial National Bank, visited the state
Home for Confederate soldiers ami
made them short address, and when
mentioned that l hailed from tie
home Of Dan Emmett of Dixie" fame,
got az applause the regular old-tile
"rebel YELL" had also the pleasure Of
meeting Mr.. Beer, librarian of How
ard Memorial library, who is gather
ing all the data possible concerning
Dan Emmett. He found some years
ago in an old book store or shop of
antiques copy of Dixie" as 1t was
first printed in the South. was glad
to be able to give him some irfoima.
ton and tell him that years ago when
General Gordon was in Mt Vernon de-
livering his famous Grafton, "The Last
Day Of the Confederacy" he ME, old
Dan and the meeting was a gracious
one, the polished Southern aristocrat,
idol Of the South, and the plain, sim
pie, old Dan of the Northland-it was
the meeting Of the magnolia and tile
sturdy Buckeye-the greeting Of tile
sunny Southland to the hardy son of
the North.
Some years ago / made an effort
that proved unsuccessful, to have
James R. Randall, who wrote, MARY
land, My Maryland" meet Emmett,
but time and fate were against 1t. In
Boston magazine years ago quoted
Emmett as saying. Maryland was poet
ry, but Dixie was doggerel," or as we
would now say, in the language of the
| day, rag-time. Some Southern writer's
have resented the statement, but 1
hope without success. So eminent a
critic IS Holmes once said he wished
he could have written poem of equal
honor for Massachusetts.
Well, that's enough on that line,
hence let us turn to more mundane
subjects. At El Paso the sight was
Just bit war-like. Texas rangers and
U. S. troops guarded the frontier, but
1t did not diminish the appetite of the
200 passengers aboard the train. AT.
ter b0-hour ride from San Antonio
we reached this city, tired, dusty, worn
and bit "scrumpish," as overheard
a young lady remark. Whether she
meant her hair or her ,habiliments, /
dare not say, owing to lack of expert
knowledge on such affairs.
This city is now beyond the 100000
mark In population and one Ohio-born
resident is SO enthusiastic that he
claims the population will number q
million before another twenty years.
1t strikes me as an intensely plea
sure-loving city, where money, fash.
ion and folly reign; where the stern
realities and duties of life are put very
far in the background. and where sin.
cerity is certainly a lost art.
I must close as 1t is time to hurry
to the train for San Francisco, or as
everyone says here, Frisco. trust
to be home in the early part of March,
at least for few days, then back to
the South again for week or SO. With
apology for this hasty scrawl, say
adieu.
Yours truly,
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