END OF RIPLEY.

Wanganui Chronicle, 30 May 1949, Page 5

END OF RIPLEY.

“Believe It Or Not” Feature NEW YORK, May 27.—Robert (“Be lieve it or not”) Ripley died today after a heart attack. He started drawing during his school days, and when he was 14 he sold his first commercial drawing for eight dollars At the peak of his success, 60,000,000 people read his cartoons daily. He had an insatiable curiosity and visited more than 200 countries. Ripley died in Harkness at the Pavilion Hotel, which he entered only yesterday. He lived in a fabulous Manhattan apartment. He had a passion for things Chinese, and furnished the entire apartment with Chinese curios. He served his guests with Chinese foods, and staffed the apartment with Chinese servants. He used to provide New York harbour with a bizarre touch by sailing his luxurious Chinese junk down the river, past transAtlantic liners. He maintained a country home in Long Island. This home, too, was full of curios valued at 2,000,000 dollars. His “believo-it-or-not” cartoon 1 -' made him a millionaire. At one time he employed over 700 persons—including nine just to handle his mail. NEW YORK, May 28 (Rec. 6.45 p.m.)—Hyland Ripley’s manager stated that Ripley had directed that the “Believe-it-or-Not” enterprises and collections should be carried on after his death as “an American institution.”