Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-26
JdORED DEAD
Reports Demise Of
l1sian Novelist and
Radical
VISIT TO AMERICA
Varied Career, Rising
tom Sordid Origin to
Literary Notoriety

1kxxim Gorky, the tramp boy who be
3 - one OF the worlds leading novel
6f vas once asked for his autobiog
x{ ~ by an editor, and replied with tn,
Born at Nizhni-Novgorod.
,'2. ,'2.4413e--Shoemake boy.
A$;&4lI9--Apprentice to a designer.
4&le-Cabin boy on a steamer.
.2yv4-Worker in a manufactory OF
0Gouits.
5SSl--Porter .
ls s&39o6-Baker's & boy.
& yNtee-Dummy in a village theatre.
yX49-Fruit seller.
sft4lee-Attempted suicide.
.< 1eo9-Railway employe.
5.2t33f 44e0-Clerk to a lawyer.
s1ot1--Operative In a salt mill; later
[z,< I1S-Wrote his first novel, 'Makar
1S3S---Ceiebrity and riches.
5i while this table supplies some accu-
: fkfo chronology, 1t does not mention the
n6o1t interesting part of his early life,
~ Intense struggle to educate himself
~ days and nights of furious concen-
ttAted reading. the poverty and hunger
& which brought him into the forefront of
% ~ literary world, but at the same
y - made him victim OF the white
{a Out Of his hardships. his injustices
: S1Ed this struggles came great bitter
s 11ro toward the world and toward So
10y: He tore modern conventions to to
=
5)ecfisy and showed in his books the
v naked, horrible truth. He painted the
& nets brutally. unrelieved.
From Poverty to Fame
oorley's childhood was anything but
nnppy. 20 one day he ran away and
entered into service on a Volga steam.
boat Later he wandered with com com
\ p4nies Of tramps through Southern Rus
a. during which period he published
number OF short stories in the news
4 papers Of Caucasia. The stories attract
u e much attention. When a collec,ion OF
2our volumes, Gorky"s name immedi-
ateiy became famous and the writer took
( his place beside such giants Of Russian
srsturs as Tchekov ,siil,s koroienKT l1Kng ana af
\ ihs time Of the publication Of Gorky's
6r1t volumes.
Among the earlier stories which es-
tablished Gorkys reputation as an au, !,
! thor Of the first rank were Malva,
zcheikash." THE Ex-Men.' and "Twen;
f4.9ix and One Other" The men and
women Gorky described were not heroes !;
t1ey were the most ordinary tramps ana
u1slm dwellers. And yet in the literature
= al nations. Including the short stories
& ota0uy de Maupassant and Bret Harte
etk6ro are few tales in which such fine
B 4sAlysis Of complicated and struggling
ZnnAn feeling Is given. such interesting
Gf3g1nAl and new characters are so weh
! 1splcted and human psychology Is so
0InifAbly interviewer with a back
( GEound Of nature-a calm sea, menacins
waves or endless. sunburnt prafries.
a IL, rerhAps his greatest work, and one OF
y T30 Inrgest, Is "Foma Gordieff." Others
hla most prominent books are Three
~ U3's and Mother the latter pub
{fSn America. about ten years ago. His
3 fSS8 iarge work was "My Childhood"
4 VNich appeared shortly before mis- death.
< n Mother Noble Character
Xs$y5o father died when ne was quite
n NJ autobiography he pictures
4nfhef as a noble character, but
81 his relatives as besotted, ava
G5(ibes As typical of many.
fIiis grandfather was making deter
mnued efforts to marry on the handsome
yeqng widow. Maxim's mother. She
o&0ded her suitors in various ways. One
AQH the grandfather brought sleek,
NSll-to-do man, whom the widow de-
opised. into the house. sat him In the best
lfacs and went to seek his daughter.
\ 10 sat pale, calm and determined In her
1oom and refused to come down. The
02Rdfather' ragged and srormed and
4hA1iy offered to force her.
The widow availed herself Of Cleo
y pn1sa's stratagem. Standing up, she rap
Aly threw Off one garment after another
uSSil she stood clad only In her chemise.
&f1ow drag me to him." she cried. The
0Fnndmother interfered. and her hus-
ND, wild with anger, had TO give up
~ matchmaking.
Out Of this pen Of swine, as Gorky
Xf1uts Il, the young boy was finally
1tsen by the stingy old grandfather. He
go Known as the Ragman:" Stealing
110osy to buy "Robinson Crusoe" and de-
( &30rcd its pages He became a vaga'
AoaA working at all sorts of odd jobs.
Z 1hrough all his wanderings, however
steadiiy pursued his literary work
~ 81 the masterpieces he read. He pic
o1i01 Ahe coarse selfish world about him
- With such power that when after
G11Y attempts he succeeded In having
e 0oqnothing published he was soon out Of
71Gn and living in affiuence.
II real name was Alexis Meximovict
z J1oGhlkn1. Maxim Gorky being his per
160Se. He married a Russian woman
7 - Is deserted for the brilliant actress
N5Is. Andrien.
Clashes With Autocracy
& x.0orly's writings and speeches brough
z Nm into clashes with the Russian au
Z cRacy. In 1908 he was arrested a
- and locked up in the fortress as &
missionary suspect He was released
Il - Fearrested. Confinement aggravated
III hung troubles. Finally he was per
1eed to 60 into exile.
n 1905 he made his famous visit t.
q - United States. Americans were pre-
y 0&1uR to welcome him as a martyr, bu
Whli Il developed that he had his para
mS0f, Nile. Andrief, with him and wa
s De1.pg no apologies for leaving hi
1Sltk1ul wife, grieving in Russia. opin
9 IN rapidly turned. The immigration
6molotittes. too, checked his entranc
1o far some time. despite his stormini
y " HI advanced" arguments agains
~ oonventions Of law and society.
y left America cursing the land a.
w ~ home Of liberty. and took up hi
&2 Dci In the famous artistic colon,
= 1&GRi, italy. Here he fell i'll. witt
81 W6okness the affection of Mile. An
Sfor him waned rapidly Finall
"a eo1A him that the stage called he
~ hlb bedside. and deserted hin
y; l.{ ~, Qoyky, q prey to disease an,
y 6choly, now appeared like a guar
~ &nGel his wife Ekaterina and thei
rs I'M There was touching recon
I'll Z Ekaterina forgava all tn
~ ~ had done her, and calle,
- nenouchi Of the Paris Pasteu
- 70 attend him. He soon i'm
6nd In . few months appeare,
~ ~ ever.
D114SF Against Germany
nerd amnesty proclaimed by tn
1919 permitted Gorky to retur
0ative land. but he lived in som
~ and did not return to his rev
nnry activities.
II after the outbreak Of the FL
1or, In 1914. II was reported tina
hod enlisted with the Russia