The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1919-10-08
HIS FAME SECURE
Emmett Immortalized Himself by
Single Song.
Writer Of "Dixie" Ranks With Rouget
I de PisIe, Composer Of ia Mar
seillaise," 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 wealthy bachelor whose fad
was building monuments. After his
death blueprints Of memorial 10
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-
estlng from the viewpoint of how
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: "f I had known that
Dixie was destined to become so pop
ular / would have written II better"
But then maybe he might have pol
ished it so much that ii would have
lost its appeal. Who knows?
In his youth Emmett was printer.
He was fifer In the army for
,xith rir
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 Il
successful run in England. After his
return to the United States Emmett
Joined company headed 10y Dan Bry-
ant. While pl2ying 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 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 hit
from the word go, and was soon
adopted by other travelling companies.
In 1860 Miss Susan Denim sang
"Dxie" to a great throng in New Or.
leans, and eventually 1t spread
through the South and became the
war song of the Confederate armies.
Tn 1895 Al G. Field sought him out
and the two had a happy time review
ing the past. Field was astOnlshed to
find Emmett still playing the fiddle
and planning to 60 on the road again,
although he was quite old. Finally
Emmett induced Field to take him
out for n 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.
During his closing days he was
helped by 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..
oiiilH, uo"cNti, l''it VII u NioiiulHtill |
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-
nectlOn with his song is that the orig |
inaI "DiXie's Land" referred to was |
not the South but an estate on Man
haitian island, New York city, owned |
py man by the name of Dixie, who
employed Il large number of cOlOred |
slaves. These slaves were sent south |
because of the rising abolition senti-
mCut, and while ,here they impro-
vised the refrain Il wish was in
DiNie's land" which was once heard |
by Emmett and became the inspira-
iicn of his song. However that may
ne, "DiXe" is always associated with
the South, and had part in the war
in France as n typical American pro-
ductiOn.