Citizens Bank (New Orleans, LA)

Article Text

# THE ORIGIN OF "DIXIE." A New Version of the Word and its Derivation-A New Orleans Bank Was the Cause of its Coinage. A correspondent of The New Orleans Times-Democrat, in an interesting article, traces the derivation of the word "Dixie" to the notes issued by the Citizens' Bank of Louisiana, says The Bankers' Journal. The original song, "Dixie Land," was composed in 1859 by Daniel Deca- tur Emmett, as a "walkaround" for Bryant's minstrels, then performing in Mechanics' hall, New York. Mr. Emmett's experiences were varied, and part of his life had been spent with the circus. He had frequently heard the performers make the re- mark, "I wish I was in Dixie," as soon as the northern climate began to be too severe for the tent life which they followed. This expression suggested the song "Dixie Land." It made a hit at once with the play- going public of New York, and was speedily spread to all parts of the union by numerous bands of wander- ing minstrels, who sang and danced to it. In the fall of 1860 Mrs. John Wood sang it in New Orleans, in John Brougham's burlesque of "Pocahontas," and ere a week had passed the whole city had taken it up, and the darky on the street corner and the banker in his office were both humming it content- edly. A New Orleans publisher saw possibilities in the music, and without the authority of the composer had the air harmonized and rearranged, issu- ing it with words embodying the strong Southern feeling then existing in the chief city in Louisuna. The word "Dixie" was brought into national prominence and usage by these songs, and, no doubt, prepetuated by the war song, the air of which is to-day dear to every Southern r. There can be no denying this statement, but the general impression concerning the origin of the word "Dixie" existing outside of the South, and in many parts of it, is incorrect. Naturally the popularity of the work created interest concerning its origin. The fact that the term was used to indicate the states south of the Mason-Dixon line has led to the general acceptance of the statement publicly made some years ago that "Dixie" sprang from Dixon. The argument was based mainly on the alleged similarity of the two words, Dixie and Dixon, and pointed out that the expression "Dixie Land" gradually grow out of "Dixon's Land," a term which, by the way, was never in use. As a result, the real root of the word has never before been made known. It is often difficult to trace such a word back to its first usage and firmly establish its origin, but the arguments in the present instance, however, are both conclusive and convincing, and leave no room for reasonable doubt that the term "Dixie Land" sprang from the ten-dollar note, "Dix," issued by the Citizens' Bank of Louisiana, which had such an unprecedented cir- culation for a number of years previous to the war. C. W. Cammuck, teller of the Citi- zens' Bank of Louisiana, was instru- mental in achieving for that bank the prestige of a larger circulation than any other bank of the South, if not of the country. The manner in which the notes of the bank were brought into almost nationisi circulation was by inviting the steamboat men to bring their freight bill checks to the Citizens' bank for payment. These bills aggregated from $3,000 to $10,000, and they were generally paid by check on some one of the numerous banks or banking houses of New Orleans. It was a decided innovation and a saving of time and labor to the collectors, who in the past had been obliged to present eaen check at the particular bank upon which it was drawn. In this way the steamboat men be- came of great service to the bank, as the major part of the sum of their col- lections was carried out of the city to be disbursed throughout the Mississippi valley, in payment for fuel, wharf- boat dues, stores, wages, port charges, etc. Thousands upon thousands of dollars were taken out of the city every week by packets bound for pointson the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio rivers and their tributaries, the Wabash, Tennessee, Arkansas and Red. During the panic of 1857 the bank withstood a two days' run upon it and came out with flying colors, while others fell all about it. This estab- lished its credit so firmly that one of its notes was as good as a national bank note is today. The bank was known both as the Citi- zens' Bank of Louisiana and La Banque des Citoyens de la Louisiane. The de- nominations of the notes in English and French were as follows: Five, cinq; ten, dix; twenty, vingt; fifty, cinqu- ante; one hundred, cent, one thousand, mille. It will be readily seen that the French names of any denomination but ten, were unpronouncable, and no one attempted it; but the ton, "dix," seemed to attract the eye and to meet a public demand. As a result, the ten- dollar notes of the Citizens' bank were seldom, if ever, referred to in any other way than as "dixes." And, be- sides, it was the most natural way in the world to identify this particular note. The denomination, too, was a convenient size for the steamboat men to meet their obligations with, not too large or too small; and of the many thousands of dollars taken out of the city every week by the river boats, a large proportion was in "dixes." In consequence, these notes had a much larger circulation than any other notes issued by the bank, and ere long the expression, "A Dixie note," or a note issued from the "Dixie Bank" was very common among the large number of people everywhere who were fami- liar with the currency. This was the most natural thing in the world, for the word "Dix" is prominent on the front of the of the note, and so much so on the back that the observer, in a hasty glance, would see nothing else. A common almost universal expression.