Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-03-04

began 20 work in tho, fields, spending
hair the day ot school and half the day
on the farm of his fathers employer.
When he was II he left school altogeth-
er and became an agricultural laborer
at ilfty cents a week
During The many hours which he
Hpent plodding along the rough ground
behind the primitive plows which still
ARE IN use IN Russia he had ample OPP
portunities Of broudlng over the lot OF
the class 20 which his family belonged
His mode Of lifo offered "a striking con.
trost 10 that OF the average young RUS
sian peasant, who spends most Of his
spare time in drinking vodka, for young
Gapon devoted his leisure hours 10 the
continuation OF his studies and 10 tho
realms ana rereading Of the few books
he could borrow Sometimes he picked
up a cory Of a newspaper published AT
Moscow or Kieff or odessa, and IN It's
columns he found Information which
suggested entirely new lines Of thought
60 him,
lie found that It was possible 10 rise
IN life only by adopting the clerical
profession and accordingly he turned
his energies in the direction OF becom-
ing a priest This rs no very dlffrult
matter IN Russia, and with the help OF
the parish priest at his own home whose
confidence he contrived to secure, young
Gapon was able 10 enter "a theological
college at Kieff at the age Of n,
HIS PRIESTHOOD.
A fellow student of his gives an in
teresting description OF Gapon's FIRST
appearance In the theological college.
He was clad IN the toughest peasant
garb and resembled n Caucasian bri-
gand more than novice about to enter
the priesthood The majority Of the
3 students were strongly IN sympathy
with the Nihillst movement and Gapon
probably sympathlzed with them some.
what at the lime. although his preach
Ing until Bloody Sunday, at least-has
always been IN favor OF constitutional
reforms rather than violence.
The five years he spent at the theo-
logical college were devoted TO work 80
earnestly that they transformed him
from nm ignorant country pumpkin into
n man OF some education and culture
and sufficient knowledge of the outside
world TO make him the intellectual SUI
perior " most Of his fellows. When
he left the college II was his secret de-
termination 90 devote the greater part
OF his energy TO obtaining liberties for
Russian Worimen
The priesthood was merely n means
W III Gnu NIAN ll' llAAilNN IL NlAUHlN nf~
cause II gave him the best oppOrtuni-
ties of earning his living without us
ing all hts strength. and M the sume
time OF occupying "a position which OF
Itself gave him extensive influence lie
married "a young school teacher who
had been outspoken IN the cause OF lib
orul ideas and settled down to- parish
work Ia his native district OF Poltaya.
Five years later. however bis wife
died and he moved to KEN, and sub
frequently secured an appointment as
the chaplain Of the central state prison
there, IN thls position he came into
close contact with all the persons who
We're arrested for political offeuses.
The suherings he witnessed aud the
Intercourse he held with the political
prisoners strengthened hls own revo-
lutlonary opinions and inspired him
with a burning desire for the reform OF
. government which was responsible
for 20 much injustice, After year at
Kieff Gnpon procured an appointment
as chaplain IN the state prison at Odes-
sn, and moved to the capital OF South
ern Russia, In order that he might |
broaden his knowledge OF social con-
dltlons, after n short period OF resi-
dence at odessa Father Gapon was
transferred 10 ST. Petersburg where |
again he held the position OF chaplain
at one OF the principal prisons
FOOLED THE GOVERNMENT.
During these years Of prieHly uctlv-
iiy Father Gapon seems TO have elab-
GRATED IN his own mind those plans for
revolutionary leadership which he has
now carried Into eject He succeeded,
however IN Keeping his revolutionary
Hympathies absolutely secret and no
one who came into contact with him
had the least suspicion that he WAS not
as other orthodox Greek priests. He
approached the authorities and sug
gested to them Various hemes for
combating so he laid-the revolu
tonary agitation among the workmen
Of the Russian capital. At FIRST his pro-
posaIs received scant attention, but the
priest gradually lined for himself the
approval and confidence OF the admin
istratiye authorities and Of the police.
1t is not much more than year
since Father Gapon sought an audi
ence of the late NJ Plehyc the minis
ter OF tile Interior. nnd submitted to
him q detailed scheme for organizing
an antl-soclalist league among the 81.
Petersburg workmen M Pehye con-
fldered the idea excellent and gave In
structions to the authorities to lend
Father Gapon all the assistance which
he needed TO carry ont his project.
In this way with the approval and
che support OF an intensely reactlonary
minister NJ the Interior and active CO.
operation OF the administrative author
flies Father GapOn founded an orgun-
izatlon which ls destined 20 play an
important part IN the political liberia
ton Of the Russian empire. Little did
NJ. Plohve imagine that the lnsignifl-
cant priest to whom he lent his power
ful aid was using him as an instru-
ment to promote the cause OF revOlu-
ton
During the FIRST months Of It's exist
ence Father G0pous organization OF
workingmen enjoyed the active coop
Grafton of the police 10 such nm extent
that Gapon himself was regarded by
the revolutionists and Socialists as
dangerous enemy to their cause. Tore
Is an interesting photograph IN exist
ence which shows Father Gapon at one
OF the meetings Of his worklngmen's
league I'm company with n tail, power
fully butt man wearing the uniform
OF the car with opaulettes, stripes and
decorations, which show him TO be
high officer This uniformed ally OF
the revolutionary leader was none 9TH
er than Cen Foullon the chief OF the
police I'm g. Petersburg, who, acting on
NJ. Plehye's orders, dld all he could TO
promote the success OF the working
mons league founded by the Poltavan
priest The complete success with
which the unknown priest, born In a
peasants hovel IN remote Poltava,
fooled tho leading statesman and some
Of the highest administrative officials