Eugene T. Sawyer

Eugene Taylor Sawyer (November 11, 1846 – October 30, 1924) was a newspaper editor and author of dime novels, particularly for the Nick Carter series.

Biography Sawyer was born on November 11, 1846, in Bangor, Maine; the son of Henry K. Sawyer. He claimed to have been influenced at an early age by the oratory of Hannibal Hamlin, Stephen A. Douglas, James G. Blaine and other local and visiting politicians, as well as by book reading, including dime novels.

Independence was his character trait; at the age of 12 he was staging "barn entertainments" for other children charging them a penny, and two years later worked as a paperboy. In 1864, at age 18, after finishing his high school studies, he set out for California via Panama. He attended the San Jose Institute for a year, then tried his hand as a miner, druggist, book-keeper, and rancher before settling on newspaper work, first, in San Francisco and then in San Jose.

In 1875, when he was a correspondent for the San Francisco Chronicle, he reported on Tiburcio Vásquez, a famous local outlaw, interviewed him in prison, and published his first book, Life and Career of Tiburcio Vasquez (1875).

After a San Francisco Chronicle beat, he moved to the San Jose Mercury-Herald as a reporter, and stayed there for the thirty-five years, eventually becoming managing editor. He was inspired to write dime novels by reading them and was most influenced by the books of Ned Buntline.

From 1877 to 1879 he served on the San Jose Board of Education. As Time magazine noted in Sawyer's obituary, all four authors died within the space of a two-year period (three in 1924 alone). Given that Dey committed suicide and Harbaugh died penniless, Sawyer is notable for having been seemingly buoyed rather than crushed by the experience and for balancing the serial novel-writing with newspaper work and other creative pursuits.

Family On September 27, 1871, he married Belle Moody (died 1921) of San Jose; they had two children, Elva B. and Louis E. Sawyer.

Talking about his method, Sawyer shared the following,

Works Novels Manton Mayne, The San Francisco Detective The Maltese Cross The Oyster Pirates The Tiger's Head Mystery The Black Riders of Santo, or, The Terror of Wood River

Nonfiction History of Santa Clara County, California (Historic Record Co., 1922) The Life of Tiburcio Vasquez