The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-01-03
NICK CARTER No MORE.
Famous Writer of Thrillers
Albert B. Tozer, Dead in
Battle Creek.

Mick Carter" is dead. and at Mis-.
soula newsstands lovers of his lurid |
fiction will ask in vain for the latest |
thriller. The fiercely colored covers OF |
Mick Carriers" desperate tales viii |
adorn magazine stands no more.
Buffalo Bill" has escaped his most
persistent rival.
From the window OF his quiet, |
book lined ROOM" says the Detroit
News Mick Carter" writer of
"thrillers,' could look over green
fields and orchards bloom to the
sparkling waters OF Lake Goguac.
Until a month ago the man who
turned out exciting stories OF HAIR
breadth adventures in the CRIME and
noise OF city streets, sat at his dig
nified desk in his peaceful room on
the Grand Boulevard here, and when
he was tired of looking at the rows
and rows of heavy calf bound books
that formed his library, turned his
eyes to a scene in spectacular con-
t.ast to the settings of the stories he
was pounding out on his typewriter.
Nick Carter wrote Of New York
dives, but he wrote of them at a re-
poseful country home.
He wrote of crime in the midst of
austere responsibility.
He wrote Of noise and tumult In 4
stiffness that, in winter. was broken
only by the crunch of ice on the shores
Of The lake, ana In summer by the
buzz Of honey bees
Life Contrast to Stories.
His stories were the lineal descend
ants Of the shilling shockers' of a
generation ago. hut the author was a
kindly. sedate gentleman with a very
pleasant smile and friendly nod for
everybody. Reformers held up his
books as responsible at times for boys
daredevil outbreaks. for their running
away from home. for pranks and for
wild rebellion against law and order.
The author himself was a peaceful.
highly respected citizen.
"'Nick Carter was known through
out the United States. Alfred Il. Tozer
who was Nick Carter and a dozen
other authors all at the same time
was not known a mile from his quiet
country home.
The man who died in Battle Creek
n few days ago was n fitcion foundry.
His typewriter turned out literally
hundreds of stories. Some were signed
by Nick Carter, many by other names.
Tozer was the Inspector Clark who
wrote The Cost of the Clue and The
Victim of the Occult
He was the Dick Stewart who
wrote n Queen OF Chance and The
Strength OF the Weak He was the
John X. Stafford who wrote Morgan,
the Dauntless.' and Carl Frspe' who
-enned a Flash Of Light
When boyhood turned from the
furidly adventurous type of fiction to
books rejecting the service ideals of
the Boy Scout movement, Tozer
turned. too Instead of volumes de-
picting daring holdups of the Over
land Express and the drugging of the
beautiful heroine in Ting Ying Los
opium joint in New York's tenderloin,
his adaptable typewriter ground out
stories of the faithful. efficient. brave
and gallant Boy Scout who rises to
fame and fortune in such strange WAYS
in the books signed by Harvey Ralph
son.
Wrote Hundreds Of Books
Yes. Nick Carter was the Harvey
Ra'phson' who has written dozens of
1aoy Scout books sold in cheap cloth
covers and devoured today by thou
sands OF boys as the true fountain
head OF Boy Scout gospel
Tozers complete works - books.
serial stories, short magazine stories
and special nrticles---nake a stupen.
dous total. His output promised to be
unlimited. No one but himself knew
now many books he had written. They
ran into the hundreds. The demand
Always was greater than the supply
because only once in many moons
Is born a man with such facility TO,
rapid writing, his publishers bounded
him for more and more.
Mr.. Tozer suffered three strokes ri
paralysis, and for the last three years
hid been an invalid. He wrote, though
until q month ago, when his hands be-
came too CRIPPLED to pound the keys OF
typewriter.
NICK Garter was an experienced
newspaper man, being at one time city
editor OF the Grand Rapids Herald
ne was the founder of the Sunday
record OF Battle Creek. But for many
years he had been kept too busy with
his detective and Boy Scout stories &c
engage in actual newspaper work.