The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-08-11
HIS FAME SECURE
Emmett lmmortaIized Himself by
Single Song.
Writer Of "Dixie" Ranks With Rouget
de PIsie, Composer of "La Mar
seiilaise," Most Famous of
Martial Hymns.

A man died In Ashtabula, Ohio, re-
Gently who has done much to perpetu-
ate the memory of Daniel Decatur
Emmett, the man who wrote Dixie
James Lewis Smith was his name. He
was q wealthy bachelor whose fad
was building monuments. After his
death blueprints of a memorial to
American sailors and soldiers who
fought in the late war were found on
his desk. The monument. however,
that will give him lasting fame is the
one erected In honor of Emmett, at
Mount Vernon, Ohio, where Emmett
was born, and where he 10 lies
buried.
Smiths interest I'm Emmett has
brought to light many interesting
things about the origin of Dixie" and
about Emmett himself. 1t is inter-
esting from the viewpoint of how a
man may spring into fame almost
overnight without knowing just why,
and also from the viewpoint of what
constitutes a popular song. In after
years Emmett said to ar old Mount
Vernon friend: 'If l had known that
Dixie was destined to become so pop
ular / would have written 1t better"
But then maybe he might have pol
ished it so much that 1t would have
lost its appeal. Who knows?
In his youth Emmett vas a printer.
He was a fifer in the army FOR a
while, and then ran away with a cir
Gus. Later he helped to organize the
first negro minstrel show ever put on
In America. This show made a hit
in the United States and later had a
successful run In England. After his
return to the United States Emmett
Joined a company headed by Dan Bry-
ant. While playing at Mechanics hall
In New York Bryant told Emmett n
Saturday that he must have a new
"walk around" song for the follow
ing Mondays performance. On Sun
day Emmett wrote the music and
words for Dixie" which was given
for the FIST time in Mechanics hall,
New York, In 1859, under the title
pixies Land" The song was a hit
from the word go, and was soon
adopted by other travelling companies.
In 1860 Miss Susan Denim sang
"Dixie" to a great throng in New Or
. leans, and eventually 1t spread
through the South and became the
war song of the Confederate armies.
In 1895 AL g. Field sought him out
and the two had a happy time review
ing the past. Field was astonished to
find Emmett still playing the fiddle
/, and planning to go on the road again,
Emmett i.lduced Field to take him
out for a season. He appeared In
Newark, Ohio, on August %, 1895. He
was then eighty, but very vigorous
and spry. Ovation after ovation fol-
, lowed him as he travelled through the
South.
J During his closing days he was
helped by a weekly allowance from
: the Actors fund of New York. Little
: or nothing was done to mark his
4 grave, although an organization had
e been formed for that purpose. Mr.
pbikAhy P1k ~
at Emmett's grave In Mound View
1 cemetery that is a credit to the mar
e and to the donor.
v A curious story brought out In con
nection with his song Is that the orig
inal "Dixie's Land" referred to wa'
not the South but an estate on Man
haitian island. New York city, owned
by a man by the name of Dixie, wht
employed a large number of coloret
slaves. These slaves were sent soutl
because of the rising abolition sent
; ment. and while there they impro
vised the refrain II wish I vas II
Dixie's land" which vas nee hear
by Emmett and became the inspira
ton of his song. However that ma
be, Dixie" is always associated wit
the South, and had a part in the wa
in France as a typical American Pre-
: duction.
y