The Mount Holly news., 1919-11-04
HIS FAME SECURE
Emmett ImmortaIized Himself by
Single Song.
Writer of "Dixie" Ranks With Rouqet
de PlsIe, Composer of "La Mar
seillaise," Most Famous OF
Martial Hymns.

A man died IN Ashrabula, 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 a 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 now lies
buried.
Smiths interest in 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 alsc from the viewpoint Of what
constitutes a popular song. In after
years Emmett said TO an old Mount
Vernon friend: "If | 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 knowsf
In his youth Emmett was printer.
He was fifer in the army for a
while, and then ran away with cir
Gus. Later he helped to organize the
first negro minstrel show ever put on
In America This show made 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 one
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 first time In Mechanics hall
New York, In 1859. under the title
''Dixie's Land" The song was hii
from the word go, and was soon
adopted by other travelling companies
In 1880. Miss Susan Denim sang
"Dixie" to a great throng in New Or
leans, and eventually it 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 happy time review
ing the past Field was astonished to
find Emmett still playing the fiddle
and planning to go on the road again
| although he. was quite old. Finally
Emmett induced Field to take hin
out for season. He appeared in
Newark, Ohio on August 20, 1895. He
was then eighty, but very vigorous
and spry. ovation after ovation fol
lowed him as he Travelled through the
| South.
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
grave. although an organization had
been formed for that purpose. Mr.
| Smith. however, put up monument
at Emmett's grave In Mound View
cemetery that is a credit to the mar
| and to the donor.
A curious story brought out in con
nection with his song Is that the orig
inal "Dixies Land" referred to wa:
not the South but an estate on Man
haitian island. New York city, owned
! by man by the name of Dixie, wht
| employed a large number Of coloret
slaves. These slaves were sent soutl
because of the rising abolition senti
ment, and while there they impro
yised the refrain II wish l was il
Dixie's land" which was once heart
by Emmett and became the inspira
tion of his song. However that ma.
be, Dixie Is always associated will
the South,> and had part in the wa
Ia France as typical American pro
| duction.