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Derwent； who makes no secret of having sunk more than one million dollars into his newest venture…and some say the figure is closer to three million…says that 〃The new Overlook will be one of the world's showplaces； the kind of hotel you will remember overnigbting in thirty years later。〃 When Derwent； who is rumored to have substantial Las Vegas holdings； was asked if his purchase and refurbishing of the Overlook signaled the opening gun in a battle to legalize casino…style gambling in Colorado； the aircraft； movie； munitions； and shipping magnate denied it 。 。 。 with a smile。 〃The Overlook would be cheapened by gambling；〃 he said； 〃and don't think I'm knocking Vegas！ They've got too many of my markers out there for me to do that！ I have no interest in lobbying for legalized gambling in Colorado。 It would be spitting into the wind。〃 When the Overlook opens officially （there was a gigantic and hugely successful party there some time ago when the actual work was finished）； the newly painted； papered； and decorated rooms will be occupied by a stellar guest list； ranging from Chic designer Corbat Stani to 。 。 。
Smiling bemusedly； Jack turned the page。 Now he was looking at a full…page ad from the New York Sunday Times travel section。 On the page after that a story on Derwent himself； a balding man with eyes that pierced you even from an old newsprint photo。 He was wearing rimless spectacles and a forties…style pencil… line mustache that did nothing at all to make him look like Errol Flynn。 His face was that of an accountant。 It was the eyes that made him look like someone or something else。
Jack skimmed the article rapidly。 He knew most of the information from a Newsweek story on Derwent the year before。 Born poor in St。 Paul； never finished high school； joined the Navy instead。 Rose rapidly； then left in a bitter wrangle over the patent on a new type of propeller that he had designed。 In the tug of war between the Navy and an unknown young man named Horace Derwent； Uncle Sam came off the predictable winner。 But Uncle Sam had never gotten another patent； and there had been a lot of them。
In the late twenties and early thirties； Derwent turned to aviation。 He bought out a bankrupt cropdusting pany； turned it into an airmail service； and prospered。 More patents followed： a new monoplane wing design； a bomb carriage used on the Flying Fortresses that had rained fire on Hamburg and Dresden and Berlin； a machine gun that was cooled by alcohol； a prototype of the ejection seat later used in United States jets。
And along the line； the accountant who lived in the same skin as the inventor kept piling up the investments。 A piddling string of munition factories in New York and New Jersey。 Five textile mills in New England。 Chemical factories in the bankrupt and groaning South。 At the end of the Depression his wealth had been nothing but a handful of controlling interests； bought at abysmally low prices； salable only at lower prices still。 At one point Derwent boasted that he could liquidate pletely and realize the price of a threeyear…old Chevrolet。
There bad been rumors； Jack recalled； that some of the means employed by Derwent to keep his head above water were less than savory。 Involvement with bootlegging。 Prostitution in the Midwest。 Smuggling in the coastal areas of the South where his fertilizer factories were。 Finally an association with the nascent western gambling interests。
Probably Derwent's most famous investment was the purchase of the foundering Top Mark Studios； which had not had a bit since their child star； Little Margery Morris； had died of a heroin overdose in 1934。 She was fourteen。 Little Margery； who had specialized in sweet seven…year…olds who saved marriages and the lives of dogs unjustly accused of killing chickens； had been given the biggest Hollywood funeral in history by Top Mark…the official story was that Little Margery had contracted a 〃wasting disease〃 while entertaining at a New York orphanage…and some cynics suggested the studio had laid out all that long green because it knew it was burying itself。
Derwent hired a keen businessman and raging sex maniac named Henry Finkel to run Top Mark； and in the two years before Pearl Harbor the studio ground out sixty movies； fifty…five of which glided right into the face of the Hayes Office and spit on its large blue nose。 The other five were government training films。
The feature films were huge successes。 During one of them an unnamed costume designer had juryrigged a strapless bra for the heroine to appear in during the Grand Ball scene； where she revealed everything except possibly the birthmark just below the cleft of her buttocks。 Derwent received credit for this invention as well； and his reputation…or notoriety…grew。
The war had made him rich and he was still rich。 Living in Chicago； seldom seen except for Derwent Enterprises board meetings （which he ran with an iron hand）； it was rumored that he owned United Air Lines； Las Vegas （where he was known to have controlling interests in four hotel…casinos and some involvement in at least six others）； Los Angeles； and the U。S。A。 itself。 Reputed to be a friend of royalty； presidents； and underworld kingpins； it was supposed by many that he was the richest man in the world。
But he had not been able to make a go of the Overlook； Jack thought。 He put the scrapbook down for a moment and took the small notebook and mechanical pencil he always kept with him out of his breast pocket。 He jotted 〃Look into H。
Derwent； Sidwndr Ibry？〃 He put the notebook back and picked up the scrapbook again。 His face was preoccupied； his eyes distant。 He wiped his mouth constantly with his hand as he turned the pages。
He skimmed the material that followed； making a mental note to read it more closely later。 Press releases were pasted into many of the pages。 So…and…so was expected at the Overlook next week； thus…and…such would be entertaining in the lounge （in Derwent's time it had been the Red…Eye Lounge）。 Many of the entertainers were Vegas names； and many of the guests were Top Mark executives and stars。
Then； in a clipping marked February 1； 1952：
MILLIONAIRE EXEC TO SELL COLORADO INVESTMENTS Deal Made with California Investors on Overlook； Other Investments； Derwent Reveals
By Rodney Conklin； Financial Editor In a terse munique yesterday from the Chicago offices of the monolithic Derwent Enterprises； it was revealed that millionaire （perhaps billionaire） Horace Derwent has sold out of Colorado in a stunning financial power play that will be pleted by October 1； 1954。 Derwent's investments include natural gas； coal； hydroelectric power； and a land development pany called Colorado Sunshine； Inc。； which owns or holds options on better than 500；000 acres of Colorado land。
The most famous Derwent holding in Colorado； the Overlook Hotel； has already been sold； Derwent revealed in a rare interview yesterday。 The buyer was a California group of investors headed by Charles Grondin； a former director of the California Land Development Corporation。 While Derwent refused to discuss price； informed sources 。 。 。
He had sold out everything； loc