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Fantasy Fiction Field, June 1944

Page 7

Abraham Merritt Editor. Dead at 59-August 21,1943. NY.Times
reprinted from TIMES of August 22.

Abraham Merritt, EDITOR, DEAD AT 59 --- Head of American Weekly, Magazine Section, Noted as Author of Weird Fiction - Executive for 32 yrs. Grow Unusual Drug and Poison Plants for Hobby - Writer on Archaeology and Botany.

*************
CLEARWATER, Fla., Aug. 21 (AP) -- Abraham Merritt, editor of the American Weekly, widely published Sunday magazine section, died of a heart attack early this afternoon at Indian Rocks Beach at the age of 59. He arrived here from New York yesterday for a vacation. 

*************
LEFT HERE THURSDAY
Mr. Merritt, who had achieved as much reknown as a writer of horror tales as he had as an editor, appeared in good health Thursday when he left New York with his wife, Eleanor, by plane for Florida. He had intended to combine business and pleasure on the trip, for he was owner of the Banboxes, a small colony of homes at Indian Rocks Beach, near Clearwater. Mr. Merritt, who made his home at Cloverdale Road, Hollis, Queens, was born in Beverly, N.J., the son of William Henry and Ida Priscilla Merritt. He studied at Philadelphia High School and in 1902, at the age of 18, began as a reported on the Philadelphia Inquirer. He remained with this paper until 1911, rising to the post of night city editor. Then he went to work on the American Weekly as an associate editor.

PROMOTED TO POST IN 1937
In 1937, William Randolph Hearst promoted him to editor of the magazine section upon the death of Morrill Goddard, whose assistant he has been for twenty-five years. He helped build the section to its present circulation of more than 7,500,000. Mr Merritt, while spending his days as an editor, became a writer at night, turning out fiction in the study of his Hollis home where he had shelf upon shelf of books dealing with demonology and other weird subjects. His books include "The Moon Pool", "The Ship of Ishtar," "Seven Footprints to Satan," "The Face in the Abyss," "The Woman of the Wood", "Dwellers in the Mirage," "Burn, Witch Burn," and "Creepy Shadow." He also wrote on a variety of serious subjects, including modern survivals of ancient cults, archaeology and Botany.

KEPT STRANGE GARDEN
Although he was busy as an editor in the daytime, and wrote fiction by night, Mr. Merritt found time to keep one of the strangest flower gardens in the country. In it could be found many exotic plants such as the Peruvian daffodil, the Mexican shell lily and the African trumpet. But Mr. Merritt, with a peculiar flair for horticulture, also grew the datum, the mandrake and the monkshood, some of them plant with weird histories, others producing powerful drugs and poisons. Mr. Merritt's interest in such a weird hobby originally stemmed from a visit he made in his youth to Central America. Here he came in contact with some of these plants, learned their history and their effects. He was a member of the Players and of the Lotos Club of New York. Mr. Merritt leaves a widow, the former Eleanor Humphrey Johnson, whom he married after the death of his first wife, the former Eleanor Ratoliffe. Surviving also is a daughter, Ida Eleanor, of New York -- rep. fr, NY TIMES 8/22/43

"TRAGIC SHOCK TO FANDOM - loss to both amateur and professional fields - Merritt was an ardent fan --- we owe him an eternal debt that we never will be able to repay"  --- Julius Unger in Fantasy Fiction Field 8/24

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Abraham Merritt Editor. Dead at 59-August 21,1943. NY.Times reprinted from TIMES of August 22. Abraham Merritt, EDITOR, DEAD AT 59 --- Head of American Weekly, Magazine Section, Noted as Author of Weird Fiction - Executive for 32 yrs. Grow Unusual Drug and Poison Plants for Hobby - Writer on Archaeology and Botany. ************* CLEARWATER, Fla., Aug. 21 (AP) -- Abraham Merritt, editor of the American Weekly, widely published Sunday magazine section, died of a heart attack early this afternoon at Indian Rocks Beach at the age of 59. He arrived here from New York yesterday for a vacation. ************* LEFT HERE THURSDAY Mr. Merritt, who had achieved as much reknown as a writer of horror tales as he had as an editor, appeared in good health Thursday when he left New York with his wife, Eleanor, by plane for Florida. He had intended to combine business and pleasure on the trip, for he was owner of the Banboxes, a small colony of homes at Indian Rocks Beach, near Clearwater. Mr. Merritt, who made his home at Cloverdale Road, Hollis, Queens, was born in Beverly, N.J., the son of William Henry and Ida Priscilla Merritt. He studied at Philadelphia High School and in 1902, at the age of 18, began as a reported on the Philadelphia Inquirer. He remained with this paper until 1911, rising to the post of night city editor. Then he went to work on the American Weekly as an associate editor. PROMOTED TO POST IN 1937 In 1937, William Randolph Hearst promoted him to editor of the magazine section upon the death of Morrill Goddard, whose assistant he has been for twenty-five years. He helped build the section to its present circulation of more than 7,500,000. Mr Merritt, while spending his days as an editor, became a writer at night, turning out fiction in the study of his Hollis home where he had shelf upon shelf of books dealing with demonology and other weird subjects. His books include "The Moon Pool", "The Ship of Ishtar," "Seven Footprints to Satan," "The Face in the Abyss," "The Woman of the Wood", "Dwellers in the Mirage," "Burn, Witch Burn," and "Creepy Shadow." He also wrote on a variety of serious subjects, including modern survivals of ancient cults, archaeology and Botany. KEPT STRANGE GARDEN Although he was busy as an editor in the daytime, and wrote fiction by night, Mr. Merritt found time to keep one of the strangest flower gardens in the country. In it could be found many exotic plants such as the Peruvian daffodil, the Mexican shell lily and the African trumpet. But Mr. Merritt, with a peculiar flair for horticulture, also grew the datum, the mandrake and the monkshood, some of them plant with weird histories, others producing powerful drugs and poisons. Mr. Merritt's interest in such a weird hobby originally stemmed from a visit he made in his youth to Central America. Here he came in contact with some of these plants, learned their history and their effects. He was a member of the Players and of the Lotos Club of New York. Mr. Merritt leaves a widow, the former Eleanor Humphrey Johnson, whom he married after the death of his first wife, the former Eleanor Ratoliffe. Surviving also is a daughter, Ida Eleanor, of New York -- rep. fr, NY TIMES 8/22/43 "TRAGIC SHOCK TO FANDOM - loss to both amateur and professional fields - Merritt was an ardent fan --- we owe him an eternal debt that we never will be able to repay" --- Julius Unger in Fantasy Fiction Field 8/24