The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-05-13
An Old Friend Passes On.

A shadowy figure again passes
across the page-then silence. Nlck
Carter has gone west. Memories OF
that past when virtue always. tri-
umphed wildly are recalled. Then
virtue was, indeed, its own reward
The shadow of a stable fragrant
with the scent of fresh cut hay, the
upturned bucket, the printed page,
the thrill of combat and of villany
checkmated, carry the elders back
into years that were real. Today
the newspapers of the country are
filled with editorial comment that
tells a story all its own.
The various editors admit that
nobody ever heard of Frederick
Van Rensselaer, Dey. They, them
selves, were for the most part lg-
norant of his identity. But when
they were told that he was the Or
iginator, and creator, of the great
est of all modern detectives-for
Nick courted the handto-hand com
bats Sherlock Holmes scorned-
they voiced deep personal sorrow
and regret in an unmistakabIe man
ner. And, by the same token, the
younger generation has failed to
weigh this man and his work with
the reminiscent vision of their ED
ers. He represented to them an in
congruous character similar 10
that they knew during the early
days of the movies. And so they
judge Nick with personal intimate
knowledge of his lovable qualities
and his hypnotic powers.
1T is unfortunate that Dey's tai
ent was expended in such a med
ium." recites the Harrisburg, Pa,
Patriot. at might have been turn
ed into nobler channels, into real
boys literature instead of a stlmu-
liant to excessive daring and other
like excuses" This sentiment,
however, finds no echo in the Al
bany, n. Y, Times Union, which
boldly recalls that "he created an
officer of the law with the power
of deduction - of unravelling the
mystifying: of clearing up the baf-
fling crimes and bringing the gull
ty to justice. His hero character
appealed more to the Imagination
than anything else the mind IN
quest of thrills of adventure had
yet had" After all, as the New
ark, n. j., News points out, his
place is, or rather used to be, IN
the cache out back of the barn or
under the ticking of the mattress
in a fellows bed But If his tic
ton was not of high order. and 1t
distorted life. it at least had the
merit always of being clean and
always of painting the hideous
mien of vice. 1t scorned to give
the criminal a romantic gloss And
then, Nick Carter lived on adven-
ture," as the Baltimore News, very
carefully points out, bold, brave,
clean adventure. He saw the read
ing public turn to other things and
two years ago his old storytelling
ceased because it no longer paid.
Then came his own fatal act.
There was a double tragedy here.
To the older generation it was
real one"
1T is to be said for Mr.. Dey's
contributions to the literature OF
boyhood." the New York World re-
calls, that his stories were clean.
The crime in them was crime. Vice
was not embellished and virtue
received it's proper reward. Boys
have had worse things to read than
The Nick Carter series" Likewise,
lit is a pity" the Manchester, n.
H., Union, points OCT, that his own
story could not have ended more
happily. In letters addressed to
friends he left word that every
hing had gone to smash and him
self with it. There should have
been before him a good many years
If continued story-writing, but
even though his labors were thus
ut short, he left record of volume |
If output which hardly will be sur
passed.