The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-11
NOISY WELCOME TO GORKY.
CROWD AT THE PIER TO GREET
THE RUSSIAN NOVELIST.
Had to Fight His Way Through h Tbroug
TO Reach His Carriage-Rife With Him
n His Adopted Son Meets Him-HOpe-
fuI for Russia-Witte o "scoundrel."

hdAl1u pOIhy, Ituboldu ioNolutiotiioo ehN
novelist, who landed at Hoboken last even
ing from the North German Lloyd steam
ship Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse, was met
by more than 1000 OF his admirers, in
Guiding many Americans and most OF the
prominent Russian Socialists OF this city.
The crowd blocked the pier entrance, over
flowing far out into the street. 1t was
necessary to make a vigorous charge on
the multitude to get Mr.. Gorky and his wife
through the fam.
Gorky himself seemed to be half para
lyzed with delight and wonder. He had
removed his hat, and those who were near
est to him stroked his hair, patted him on
the back and kissed his long. black cloak.
Many Of the women cried, and nearly all
the men had moistened eyes.
The revolutionist seemed to be completely
overcome. For at least ten minutes he
and his wife, who accompanied him, and
his adopted son, swho went down the bay
to meet him, were unable to move arms or
feet, so solidly were they packed in the
mass OF enthusiasts.
The committee that had escorted Gorky
up the pier delegated one OF their number
to break through the crush and summon
assistance to get the. novelist to the car
rage that was waiting for him. Several
OF the steamships officers, a few Hoboken
cops and some vigorous longshoremen
forced their way through the crowd and
forming a wedge cleared a path for Mr..
Gorky.
The crowd then fell in behind, and their
pressure helped to get him to the end OF
the pier. All the while men we're cheering
and women screaming greetings. The
~favorite expression was "Vive Gorky."
He was pursued to the entrance to the ele-
vator. Then the crowd broke and ran
down the several stairways to the ground
entrance to the pier. Gorky, his wife and
several Of his friends got in a carriage,
the driver Of which was urged to make the
best speed possible to the ferry. More
than 800 men followed the carriage, cheer
ing and shouting until it was impossible
TO keep up with the ~galloping horses.
The first mar to shake hands with Gorky
when he stepped of the end OF the gang
plank was Tohaykovsky, the Russian in
tellectual, who recently arrived from exile
in Switzerland. They grasped each others
hands and looked steadily into each others
eyes for a full quarter Of a minute. Then
Tchaykovsky said:
WELCOMED What is It, hope or tears,
Gorky?' The novelist smiled a peculiar
and very broad distinctively Russian smile,
and answered: mo tears. Hope-sure
and certain
When the delegation of Socialists depu-
TIED to welcome Gorky started down the
bay on the revenue cutter Hudson their
impression was that he would be only too
willing to talk to them and a score OF re-
porters who accompanied them.
They we're much disappointed when Gorky
declared that he could not say anything.
He speaks only mis- own language, and he
was very much embarrassed apparently
to be confronted by so large a number OF
inouisitive Americans with whom he could
not communicate.
In the delegation we're DR.. Maxim Romm,
Morris Hilprit, Nikolay zavolsky Pieshkoh,
Gorky's adopted son, H. Gaylord Wiltshire,
Ivan Narodny, leader of the Russian military
reyolutionists, Joseph Mandelkern, Leroy
Scott, of the University Settlement, and
Abe Cahan.
Gorky had not seen his adopted son for
nearly two years. They embraced and
kissed each other, the father patting the
boy on the back. Gorky then looked in
the direction Of the reporters. His nat
urally pallid face assumed a still paler
tinge. He was plainly frightened. APP
parently he had expected to come into the
country in a modest and unobtrusive way,
lust like any other cabin passenger. On
the passenger list he was put down as NJ.
Tieshkof. That is his right name, Gorky
being that OF his adopted father.
Mr.. Cahan, who acted as interpreter for
" .ax,,olnl NJ Cnrky tn
come I'D on the promenade deck, and urged
him to submit to interviewing. He was
amiable, but r~eticent and nervous. He is
we'll built, broad shouldered and nearly
9 feet tall, While he was looking over the
rail into the bay 10 avoid the scrutiny of
the interviewers he pulled vigorously at
his thin, sandy mustaohe.
His wife, who can speak both German
and French, responded to questions put
In those languages, but said nothing more
thar that her husband did not wish to talk
lust then. She is very handsome, has
sharp, black eyes. regular features and an
intellectual expression. She lowered over
Gorky with motherly attention and gentle
ness.
After ten minutes meditation at the rail
Gorky announced In Russian that he was
too much overcome to talk and that he
was not used t. being interviewed. He
then went back to his cabin. The adopted
son stepped into the breach at this point
and said he would use his influence to get
Gorky to at least write a few words to the
American people through their newspapers.
Ten minutes later young Pieshkof came
out with Gorky's written statemsnt, which
Dir. Cahan translated thus:
Il apologize many times to the press Of
America. At this moment l cannot speak,
lam fatigued and l have been overwhelmed
by the grandness Of the ocean. shall take
a rest, and then in We or three days 1 shall
be delighted to receive the representatives
Of the press. l beg once more to be ex-
cused, and l give hearty thanks to the
for their welcome"
The reporters would not let Gorky of
with this brief explanation. They dele
gated Mr., Cahan to tell Gorky again that
the American people expected him to say
something about the cause that he repre-
sented. He then invited all the reporters
into his stateroom and gripped the hand
OF zach in a manner which indicated