Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 July 1894 — Dix e's Land. [ARTICLE]

Dix e's Land.

An ent the presentation of our national hymn, it seems apropos to tell the story of a sbng which was the favorite in the Confederacy during the war, and which has since made itself widely popular in the North as well as in the South. Mr. Emmett, known forty years ago as Young Dan Emmett, was at that time one of the most popular negro minstrels in the United States. Minstrelsy then was ,in its glory. The taste of the people has so greatly changed that the minstrelsy of today bears but slight likeness to that of old times, when Christy, Birch, Peel, West, Emmett, Dan Bryant and others were brilliant stars in a sable firmament. Mr. Emmett was a master of the banjo, bis favorite instrument, which he accompanied with rattling songs. He was also skillful on the violin. The following particulars were obtain ed from Mr. Emmett himself by a lady who recently visited him at his home in the outskirts of Mt. Vernon, O. He lives there in the residence of a young couple, who occupy a small house of three rooms with a lean-to. He was found in the common room, which serves the purpose of parlor, sitting-room, diningroom, kitchen and laundry. About the time when the war opened Mr. Emmett was traveling with a circus somewhere in the neighborhood of New York City. During the latter part of the season .the n’ghts were cold, the tent was often uncomfortable, and he frequently heard from the circus people the exclamation, “Iwish I were in Dixie.” This gave him the first hint for his song. The company had previously traveled in the South, where it was the custom of the colored people to gather around the tent, when the performers would sing to them snatches of songs and the negroes would respond, using many of their quaint and peculiar dialect expressions. These had fixed themselves in Mr. Emmett’s memory, and in the composition of the song were woven into its texture. The music and the lines were soon constructed and the song at once became popular.