King, from Challenge of the Yukon, meets Soapy Smith

he 1930s-40s radio series show Challenge of the Yukon explored the adventures of Sergeant William Preston of the North-West Mounted Police and his lead sled dog, Yukon King, as they fought evildoers in the Northern wilderness during the Klondike gold rush. The show had at least one episode involving Soapy Smith. The title is King Meets Soapy Smith and it aired March 23, 1944. In November 1951 the show changed it's name to Sergeant Preston of the Yukon and in 1955 it was made into a TV show. The show ended in 1958 and it is not known at this time if Soapy's character was used in any of the those episodes.
      The episodes are hard to come by as many did not survive the passage of time. Lucky for us King Meets Soapy Smith is one of the shows that survived. For your listening pleasure of radio days long gone, hear once again Sergeant Preston's mighty catch phrase "On, King! On, you huskies!"

King Meets Soapy Smith
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To learn more about Challenge of the Yukon click here.

 

"Hi Jeff!
I just got your book 4 days ago, still in the first chapter, its very interesting so far, I didn't know there was a photo around of Soapy as a child [very historic]. It's amazing how writers and historians alike get important facts mixed up! In your book there is a photo in which a bunch of Soapy's fellows are standing in a row detained and ready for being shipped out of skagway, and the one fellow in the center of the line wearing a black wide brimmed hat, who looks a bit like Soapy, has very often been described as being your grandfather, such as in the Time-Life series of books ..of alaskans. I always thought he was Soapy, but now I know who he is! the book is great so far, and I'm impressed with the indexes and refrences."

—Clyde Vongrad

FEBRUARY 14

1778: The United States flag (“stars and stripes”) is carried to a foreign port, in France, for the first time, flown aboard the American ship Ranger.
1803: Moses Coats receives the patent on the apple pare device.
1849: The first photograph of a U.S. President, James Polk, is taken while in office by Matthew Brady in New York City.
1854: Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson receive the patent for the repeating revolver (The Volcanic).
1859: Oregon is admitted to the Union as the 33rd state.
1862: New Mexico and Arizona Territories are admitted into the Confederacy as territories.
1876: Alexander Graham Bell files a patent for the telephone. It is officially issued on March 7, 1876.
1882: Samuel “Doc” Cummings is shot and killed by Jim Manning at the Coliseum Variety Theatre. Drinking heavily, Cummings pulled a gun on Manning, but Manning and bartender David King were able to pull their revolvers and shoot first. Cummings staggered out of the saloon and died.
1884: Theodore Roosevelt's wife and mother both die within a few hours of each other.
1884: Soapy Smith is arrested in San Francisco for operating the prize package soap sell racket.
1889: Oranges from Los Angeles, California are shipped back east for the first time.
1899: The U.S. Congress approves voting machines for use in federal elections.
1903: The U.S. Department of Commerce and Labor is established.
1904: The "Missouri Kid" is captured in Kansas.
1912: The first diesel engine submarine is commissioned in Groton, Connecticut.
1912: Arizona is admitted to the Union as the 48th state.