Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-10-20
SAMUEL DERIEUX
Sketch Of Brilliant Young Magazine
Writer Who Died Recently
LONG RESIDENT OF SOUTH CAROLINA
Mary 3. Mullett Gives Intimate ana
Touching Flashes of incidents In
His Life. SE

An associate editor of the American
Magazine, a woman who worked side
by side with Samuel A. Derieux, well
known South Carolina writer of short
stories, for the most part of the dog
type, has recently written an article
i'm that magazine on the life and work
of Mr.. Derieux. who died some months
ago after long fight for life, says the
Spartanburg Herald.
Mary B. Mullett, the associate editor
worked with Mr.. Derieux, who held a
similar position, and writes as she
knew him.
Mr.. Derieux was well known here
where he spent his youth and where
his father, Rev. w. T. Derieux was for
q number Of years pastor OF the First
Baptist church. DR.. Derieux now
holds a responsible position with the
Baptist Mission Board in Columbia.
Following is her story:
A few months ago, the flag on the
state capitol at Columbia, S. c., hung
at half mast for two days. The man
to whom this tribute of respect was
shown was not an official of the state
government, nor of the municipality.
He was not even citizen of Column
bia.
In years gone by he had lived there.
He had gone out into the world and
had made one Of the bravest and finest
fights a man ever waged. Now that
the struggle was over and his friends
had brought him to his old home, there
to lie in the long, rest that comes to
every man, the state itself was proud
to honor him.
And it was not only the people of
Columbia and Of South Carolina that
paid a tribute Of admiration and of
affection to this man. From men and
women all over the country came mes
sages Of heartfelt sorrow. Some Of
these people never even had seen the
man whose death had touched them
so deeply. Many of them knew him
only through the pages of this maga-
zine. But he had written his way in
to their hearts; warmed them with the
warmth of his own generous nature;
given them something of the un-
quenchable fire, of his own spirit, and
they loved him.
The name of Samuel A. DerieuX is
familiar to all the readers of this mag
azine. He wrote about dogs as few
men can. OF bird dogs especially he
had the most wonderful knowledge!
They had been his companions in his
days Of hunting, in. the open fields and
the woods which he so loved But it
was not only dogs and the great out
doors that he knew and loved. He had
also wonderful understanding of hu-
man beings. His stories were not
mere dog stories." In everything he
wrote there was human interest, too
And always it was as, fine as his own
standard of life.
But while millions of readers know
the stories he wrote, / doubt if q doz-
en- persons know his own story. 1t is
because that story is,, itself, the best
one he created. that tell it here.
He was forty.one years old when he
died. And for twenty years he had
waged a >Aght, as battling as it was
difficult. He was born in Richmond,
Virginia, and was as strong and as
healthy a boy as. you could find any
where. But when he was sixteen he
had a severe attack of typhoid fever;
and-although this was not known un-
til about six months ago-that illness
caused conditions which were slowly,
but implacably, through all the years
that followed literally killing him by
inches.
At first things were not so very bad.
He was young, and the poison was
only beginning it's insidious work. He
went through Richmond college and
later took his masters degree in Eng
lish at the University of Chicago. But
by that time the fight was on in earn
est. ne utlu OIle COlLlNele DIeSihuO"H
He pulled himself out of that, by sheer
force of will. and tried to go on.
He was proud. mean that he had
that fine pride which is ashamed of
lack of courage. And when even the
physicians told him that his trouble
was lust nerves." he felt Inundated.
He put forth every fibre of his moral
force, until finally, spent and exLaust-
ed, he would break again.
At Chicago he had become engaged;
but he could see no fairness to the girl
he loved if he should marry when he
had neither health nor money. But
she believed in him heart and soul.
She knew he needed her. SO they were
married, and, together, took up the
struggle.
For few years he taught English
in various schools and colleges, and it
was then that he began to try his hand
at writing. When the war came, he
wanted to get into the army and was
turned down. But his own battle was
going on all the time, and always
growing harder.
Yet now, more than ever, he set him.
SOLE To IL lnnl