The Washington times., 1922-04-28
A Story a Week.

- '"os "eet.
II wrote hard and fast. Some.
times ! managed 10 turn out 8 coo
words an hour; IL was poor day
when I didn't turn out more than
eight thousand words. In the sum.
mer | got up at 4 O'Clock in The
morning and Immediately began TO
work.
81 made bet with my publishers
that l would do ten stories IN ten
weeks. [ won the bet al the end az
the seventh week. After that kept
twenty stories ahead all the time"
The most popular OF IN. Nick
Carter" adventures was 'TraiIed
Across the Atlantic" Mr. Dey be-
gan the story after one of his globe.
circling expeditions. After ne lad
turned out 90, 600 words public inter.
est was so intense that ne ran tho
action along 10 100000 words. ! liz
hero appeared in every chspt-r. This
story was one OF the many tnat ap-
pealed TO such tenacious readers of
Mr.. Dey's books as Senator Hoar.
Mayor Mcclellan OF New York,
Thomas b. Reed and Charlie. Evans
Hughes.
About the character OF his famous
n-child, Mr.. Dey had this 10 say
in the last interview he gave a year
ago:
II never in my life wrote any.
thing about Nick Carter | would pe
ashamed to read aloud 10 Bible
class. No one need sneak away 20
read about him. No one need hc
ashamed OF his acquaintance
II made Nick az good as Rollo a.
an Oliver Optic hero, but not good g.
good. He never took 4 drink,
smoked or swore. lie never told
lie. He once fired an assistant FOR
telling lie. lie always was trying
10 reform young crooks and TO give
first offenders another chance.
He always triumphed over offend.
ers against the law. Crime did nor
pay in the Nick Carter books.
Mr.. Dey is described as a young.
old man. with snowy hair and close.
clipped beard. His eyes shone with
the spirit OF boyhood. it is said,
and he never failed to vibrate TO the
lure OF adventure. the love Of mysl-
cry.
lie was born near Elmvra. Scw
York, but spent his boyhood in this
city DerCk Dey, an ancestor, IS
said 10 have hammered into a board
the first nail ever TO be driven on
Manhattan Island: another ancestor
preached the first English sermon
ever heard in New Amsterdam. Dey
street, now lane between tower.
ing skyscrspper canons on the low
er islands, once led to the farm OF
his ancestors.
He began, after graduating from
Cornell, as newspaper man in
Brooklyn. Later he tried law with
Mayor Gaynor. But far spaces
called, and he turned globe trotter.
His writing was the passion of his
life. Besides the Mick Carter"
stories, he wrote others under pen
names OF Derck Van Doren. Fred.
erick Ormond. Marian Gilmore, and
Ross Beekman.
Took Up Movie Writing.
After progress had brought the
movies 10 furnish thrills for the
world, Mr.. Dey drove the twenty.
five miles into the city from Nyack,
where he established his home,
every day 10 write scenarios for
movie producing company. Mrs.
DeN, interested in womens work.
wrote and lectured on this and
kindred subjects.
Mrs. Dey. according to friends OF
the dead man, was visiting rela-
tiNes In Darien, Conn, when her
husband returned from a trip to
Los Angeles, which he undertook
in connection with his scenario
work.
Charles MacLean, managing edi
tor for Street and Smith. who was
called when 1t became necessary TO
break into the hotel room where
Dey lay dead, had this to say:
There was no evidence about the
room OF in his affairs OF any con.
fusion. While he was not as well
taken care Of financially as he has
been. he was not in difficulties. I
believe Mr. Dev was perfectly sane