Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1919-10-31
HIS FAME SECURE
Emmett lmmortalized Himself Ivy
Single Song.
Writer Of "Dixie'' Ranks With Roussa
de risie, Composer Of "La Mar.
seiliaise," 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 "Dtxie."
james Lewis Smith vas his name. He
was a wealthy bachelor whose Ead
was building monuments. Afte; his
death blueprints of memos Il to
American sailors and soldic': who
fought In the late war were f':~nd on
his desk. The monument. ':,wever.
that will give him lasting ::;;me is the
one erected in honor of. Emmett. at
Mount Vernon, Ohio. where !',"':::ett
was born, and where h. 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 also from the viewpoint of what
constitutes a popular song. In after
years Emmett said to an old Mount
Vernon friend: "If I had known that
Dixie was destined to become so pop
ular would have written it better"
But then maybe he might have pol
ished it SO much that it would have
lost it's appeal. Who knows?
In his youth Emmett was a printer.
He was a fifer in the army Cor q
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 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 one
Saturday that he must have new
"walk around" song for the follow
ing Mondays performance. On Sum
day Emmett wrote the music and
words for "Dixie," which was given
for the first time in Mechanics hall.
New Yorf:. in 1859, under the title
"Dixie's Land" The song was bit
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 armes.
In 1s9n ~ q e. Field sought him out
And the two had a happy time review
ing the past. Field was astonished to
mad Emmett still playing the fiddle
and planning to % on the road again.
although he was quite old. Finally
Emmett induced Field to take him
out for a season. He appeared In
Newark, Ohio. on August q. 1895. he
WAS then eighty. but very vigorous
and spry. Ovation after ovation fol-
lowed him Us 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 credit to the man
and to the donor.
A curious story brought out In con-
nection with his song is that the orig
inal "Dixie's Land referred to was
not the South but an estate on Man.
haitian island, New York city. owned
by a man by the name Of Dixie, who
employed a large number Of colored
slaves. These slaves we're sent south
because of the rising abolition senti
ment. and while there they impr0
vised the refrain II wish l was in
Dixie's land" which was once heard
by Emmett and became the inspira
ton Of his song. However that may
be. "Dixie" is always associated with
the South. and had part in the wal
in France as typical American pro
duction.