New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-02-10
An Answer to Numerous
Correspondents of
The Tribune.
DAN EMMETT'S
WALK-AROUND
The True Story of a Famous
SOng-GroWing Interest in
Southern Music.
81 ". D. kRtHPItI.

are still NAM people walking In dark
ness. There ought 10 he none such
among the readers OF this journal. un-
less they are newcomers. for I'm years
asone The Tribune has contributed sew
eral interesting chapters OF history
real history. toto the interesting SUBJ
jet OF the song and its author. II IS
only six years ago that II devoted sew
eral columns TO the special feature o.
tho discussion i'm connection with the
question which has now broken out
namely. the association OF the song with
New Orleans. on March J. 1908, il
tion OF the song in New Orleans, en-
bellished by wood cut Of a darkey with
wings playing upon an instrument which
was cross between a banjo and a
hurdy-gurdy. The cut looks as If II had
been carved out of a pinewood block
with a pocket knife. ana probably was.
because. though undated, II belongs in
dubitably to the early years OF the var
Had The Tribune's correspondent who
started the present discussion seen ii he
would have accepted 10 as proof conclu-
sive that Dixie" came from New Or
leans. as he thinks IT did because he
first heard it there in 1851 or 1852. But
Dixie" is older than those dates indi-
cate and was composed in New York by
an Ohio man as the world has been told
innumerable times. MOI only i'm the news
papers, but by its author, Dan En-
nett, who died in his native town Of
Dan Emmett. as all old New Workers
ought 10 know. was one of the original
American negro Ministries. He wrote
old Dan Tucker" which ought also TO
keep in memory, and was the organizer
Of the Virginia Minstrels that gave en-
tertainments at the Chatham Theatre
i'm this city as long ago as lSi3. lie
even went TO London. but had poor luck
there and had to come back TO America.
In 1857 he became a member of Dan
Bryants company for which he wrote
"walk-arounds." which this writer is in
clined to believe were limitations of the
barbaric dances called "spirituals" which
played so large "A role in the emotional
life Of the black slaves Of the Southland.
Dixie was written for such an occa-
sion two years before The Tribune first
correspondent heard IT in New Orleans.
Gustav kobb6 tells the simple facts In
the case in his book Famous American
Songs" and they were confirmed over
and over again by Emmett in newspaper
interviews before he died Here is the
story:
on Saturday night. September H. 1889.
after the performance, one OF the bryahls
told Emmett that new walk-around was
wanted in time for rehearsal on Monday
The minstrel replied that while the time
was very short he would do his best.
That night, after he reached home, ne
tried TO hit upon some tune put the music
wouldn't come. His wife cheerlly t o,I
him TO wait until morning. he ShOulu
have the room to himself so that he could
work undisturbed. and when he had mn
ished the walk-around he could play IL 10
her as solo audience. If she liked II
the Bryants would and so would the
average listener.
Next day was rainy and dismal. Some
years before Emmett had travelled with
circus as a drummer. In winter tne
warm Southern circuit was popular
route with circus people and those VINO
were Obliged TO show North would say
when the cold weather would make them
shiver. II wish ] was in Dixie. Inc
phrase was, I'm fact. current circus eA-
preston. on that dismal september DAY
probably the beginning of the equinoctlal,
when Emmett stepped 10 the window ana
looked out, the old longing for the pleas
ant South came over him. ana lnFoiuh
tarily he thought TO himself, Il Wish !
was i'm Dixie" Like fash the thought
suggested the first line for a walk-around,
and a little later the minstrel. fiddle IN
hand. was working out the melody. which
coupled with the words. made DIXIE
genuine song Of the people almost from
the instant 1t was first sung rom w Ehe
STAGE OF Bryant's Ministries. then at NO;
a72 Broadway. New York. on the night OF
Monday. September 10. 1883.
II will be seen that there is as little
mystery about the origin Of Dixie as
the words OF DR. Smiths MY Country
'Tis OF Thee" The song was printed by
Firth. Pond G. Co.. and published in 1901
as No. ! Of "Emmetts Inimitable Planta-
ton Songs. Written and Composed TOT
Rrvant's Minstrels. of New York. by Dan
d. Emmett" As for the New orleans
history Of the song, though the writer mas
interesting information of his own kindly
contributed by Mr.. William Beer. Liorari-
an ~ the Howard Memorial Library, OF
New Orleans. he prefers TO reproduce the
account printed few years ago In the
phonv Orchestra by that amiable musical
annalist of encyclopedic mind, Philip
Hale:
In ,he spring OF 1861 Mrs. John WOOD
uas nlaying in "Pocahontas' at the New
orleans Varieties Theatre. zouave
march was introduced In the last scene
FOR which tune was wanted. Carlo
patti. the conductor OF the orchestra
anailv n, clded on Dixie" The zouaves
marched led by Susan Denim. singing
Emmett's song The audience was mad
18th enthusiasm the song went over the
So,tb. n was arranged for quick-step;
:, vas plaved before Pickett's charge at
Gettvsburg. Thus the anomaly was pre-.
santed OF a song written and composed
and who. as a matter OF fact. sympathized
with the North. becoming the war-song OF
the South
Though Dixie came TO be looked
unon az Enthusiastically a song of the
Southland. the hearts OF the Northern
neonle never grew cold toward IT. Presi-
dent Lincoln loved il. and to-day it is
the most popular song in the country
irrespective OF section.
I'm connection with this subject II Is
interesting 10 note thai a large interest
in IN. songs OF the South seems immi-
nent. though not al all because OF the
craze for rastinre dances. At the re-
quest OF MIR Kurt SCHNEIDER Mr.. n. T..
Burleigh has arranged two slave songs for
performance by the chorus OF ,he Schola
Cantorum at its next concert In carnegie
Hall They are Deep River" which has
already exercised the skill OF Coleridse
Taylor and Maud Powell for instrument
al r,rnoses and dig NV Grave =