Soapy Smith's "STAR" notebook, 1882: Part #8 - page 8

Soapy Smith's "star" notebook
Page 8 - original copy
1882

(Click image to enlarge)

 

OAPY SMITH'S "STAR" NOTEBOOK

Part #8 - page 8

     This is part #8 - page 8, the continuation of deciphering Soapy Smith's "star" notebook from the Geri Murphy's collection. A complete introduction to this notebook can be seen on page 1.
     The notebook(s) are in Soapy's handwriting, and often times pretty hard to decipher. A large part of this series of posts is to transcribe the pages, one-at-a-time, and receive help from readers on identifying words I am having trouble with, as well as correcting any of my deciphered words. I will include the original copy of each page, an enhanced copy of each page, a copy in negative, and a copy with typed out text, as tools to aid in deciphering the notes. There are a total of 24 pages. This means that there may be upwards of 24 individuals posts for this one notebook. Links to the past and future pages (pages 1, 2, 3, etc.) will be added at the bottom of each post for ease of research. When completed there will be a sourced partial record of Soapy's activities and whereabouts for 1882-1883.
     Important to note that the pages of the notebook do not appear to be in chronological order, with Soapy making additional notes on a town and topic several pages later.

Soapy Smith's "star" notebook
Page 8 - enhanced
1882
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

(Click image to enlarge)

Soapy Smith's "star" notebook
Page 8 - enhanced
1882
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

(Click image to enlarge)

     Here is what I believe to be the correct deciphering of the text, dated 1882. Do you agree, or do you see something else? There are two words I have not been able to decipher positively. All comments, suggestions and ideas are welcome! I will update the new information to this post.

Soapy Smith's "star" notebook
Page 8 - deciphered
1882
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

Click image to enlarge

Page 8 (bottom).

• Line 1: "Sherman Show [circus]"
• Line 2: "Oregon City [Oregon] 29th"
• Line 3: "__?__ 1882"
• Line 4: "population 1,800"
  
  Art Petersen, who has been aiding me in deciphering Soapy's handwriting, writes,
  

       Lines 3 and 4; are conundrums for me. The name appears to have 4, 5, or 6 letters. Clearly appearing after the smudgy word are the #s 1882. The only letter that seems for sure is the last, an "o." Among possible Oregon cities, here are two nominations: Echo and Toledo. The next line, though, lists a population of 1,800. Neither of these towns in 1882 could have had a population that high. Of the two towns, my pick as possible is Echo. It was on the Oregon Trail, and Wikipedia indicates travelers were still known to be traversing "the trail" into the 1880s. So Echo was a known site that had a transient population for decades. Toledo, on the other hand, was a gold placer mining site; it was remote and went into decline sooner than Echo. This site for me remains the best possibility. The population listed, though, does seem high for 1882.

• Line 5: "Salem [Oregon] pop. 5,000"
• Line 6: "Albany [Oregon] 1,800 [pop.]"
• Line 7: "Eugene City [Oregon] 1,117 [pop.]"
• Line 8: "Lf"
  
  Art writes,
  

       Line 8; "Lf." The L in these two letters seems certainly an L, as comparison shows. No city in Oregon that begins with L has an f in it except Lafayette. Did Soapy begin to write that name, find himself unsure of the spelling, and left it, only to write it out a bit a later? No other thoughts occur to me about the two letters.

• Line 9: "Hillsboro [Oregon] 600 [pop.]"
• Line 10: "Lafayette [Oregon] 783 [pop.]"
  
• Line 11: "Dalles [Oregon] 6200 [pop.]"
• Line 12: "Corvallis [Oregon] 1,188 [pop.]"
• Line 13: "Jacksonville [Oregon] 960 [pop.]"
• Line 14: "Kalama [Washington Terr.] Aug 29, 1882"
• Line 15: "fare from Olympia [Washington Terr.]"
• Line 16: "to Portland [Oregon] 29 Aug"
• Line 17: "1882 $6.80"
  
  Art writes,
  

       The last 4 lines; may be related. The rather dark, clear letters appearing there seem to be KalamaeA[t?]ng. After it appear the following numbers: 291882. The # is not a sum total of the previous population numbers. Neither is it a reasonable population # for any location in the Northwest at the time. The possibility remaining is that the # contains 2 sets of #s—29 and 1882. That year is repeated 3 times on the page. If the last 4 digits are the year, 1882, that leaves the number 29. Now back to the word. Suggested is the Washington Territory town of Kalama. It's on the way from Portland to Tacoma, WA, and a spur reaches to Olympia. In 1880, after the Northern Pacific decided to put its headquarters, not in Kalama but in Tacoma, the Kalama population plunged to 129. It's not out of the realm of possibility that the town in 1882 had a population of about 29. Another possibility is that 29 is a date. In fact, it is repeated on the last two lines: 29 Aug / 1882. I have puzzled over the letters after the apparent Kalama and have come up empty. How could they fit with Kalama. Surrounding clues strongly suggest Kalama to me, but the A[t?]ng leave me stumped.

  My response.
  

  I believe that line 14 reads "Kalama [Washington Terr.] Aug 29, 1882."

  Art writes,
  

       Line 15-16; Here's where the potential link to Kalama comes in. Recorded is "fare from Olympia to Portland." Kalama is on the way, 38 miles from Portland and 71.5 miles south of the Olympia.

        Line 17; A fare of $6.80. The southern spur of the Northern Pacific in 1882 ran from Portland, through Kalama and to Olympia with a short spur, and on to Tacoma. See the 1883 NPRR map.

Interpretation: Page 1, page 2, page 4, page 5 of this notebook shows Soapy's plans for traveling through Oregon and Washington Territory, making and changing plans before successfully venturing there, several times. Here in 1882, on page 8 he makes makes notations of Oregon and Washington towns and their populations, perhaps not wishing to stop and waste time at smaller communities. Details include traveling by train from Oregon to Washington, and returning to Portland, Oregon from Olympia, Washington, for $6.80, the equivalent of $211.96 in 2023.

 

Visit the Soapy Smith Soap Box blog

 

STAR NOTEBOOK
April 24, 2017
Part #1
Part #2
Part #3
Part #4
Part #5 
Part #6
Part #7
Part #9
Part #10
Part #11
Part #12
Part #13 (not published yet)
Part #14 (not published yet)
Part #15 (not published yet)
Part #16 (not published yet)

Oregon: pages 38-39, 42-43, 119, 166, 339, 440, 475, 499, 506, 530-31, 577.
Washington state: pages 443-44, 489, 498, 512, 518, 554, 579.

"Honesty is the best policy…unless you can tell a convincing lie."

—Keith C. Cobb
Exceptions to the Rules, 2001

Soapy Smith's "STAR" notebook, 1882: Part #7 - page 7

Soapy Smith's "star" notebook
Page 7 - original copy
1883

(Click image to enlarge)

THIS POST UPDATED
August 21, 2023

OAPY SMITH'S "STAR" NOTEBOOK

Part #7 - page7

This is part #7 - page 7, the continuation of deciphering Soapy Smith's "star" notebook from the Geri Murphy's collection. A complete introduction to this notebook can be seen on page 1.

The notebook(s) are in Soapy's handwriting, and often times pretty hard to decipher. A large part of this series of posts is to transcribe the pages, one-at-a-time, and receive help from readers on identifying words I am having trouble with, as well as correcting any of my deciphered words. I will include the original copy of each page, an enhanced copy of each page, a copy in negative, and a copy with typed out text, as tools to aid in deciphering the notes. There are a total of 24 pages. This means that there may be upwards of 24 individuals posts for this one notebook. Links to the past and future pages (pages 1, 2, 3, etc.) will be added at the bottom of each post for ease of research. When completed there will be a sourced partial record of Soapy's activities and whereabouts for 1882-1883.
     Important to note that the pages of the notebook do not appear to be in chronological order, with Soapy making additional notes on a town and topic several pages later.

Soapy Smith's "star" notebook
Page 7 - enhanced
1883

Courtesy of Geri Murphy

Soapy Smith's "star" notebook
Page 7 - negative
1883
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

Here is what I believe to be the correct deciphering of the text. Do you agree, or do you see something else? There are two words I have not been able to decipher positively. All comments, suggestions and ideas are welcome! I will update the new information to this post.

Page 7 (bottom).

• Line 1: "For license"
• Line 2: "Tombstone City 12.50"
• Line 3: "County [Cochise] 6.50"
• Line 4: "Board one week 15.00"
• Line 5: "[total] 34.00"
• Line 6: "E B. [East Bound?] Dr [drive] to __?___"
• Line 7: "To 7.00"
• Line 8: "to 40 percent of"
• Line 9: "15.00 6.00"
• Line 10: "A watch 4.00"
  
• Line 11: "[total] 17.00"

Interpretation: Soapy makes notations of his expenditures to and from Tombstone, Arizona, 1883. He note his purchases of a city license, a county (Cochise) license, and one weeks stay at an unknown hotel (December 17-22, 1883).
     Line #6: is where deciphering runs into a snag. On the previous page of the notebook (page 6) Art Petersen notes that "Soapy bought a ticket from San Francisco, CA, to El Paso, TX, for $60. He was riding the Southern Pacific, which in 1880 had reached Benson on its route east." Today, when traveling to Tombstone from Benson you take the AZ-80 East. Could "E B. dr to (can't read town name)" mean "east-bound drive to (can't read town name)?" Art believes it might be "Exit Benson drive to (can't read town name)." 
     Line #7: appears to be cost "to" a destination for $7.00.
     Line #8 and #9: 40 percent of $15.00 is $6.00. Was this some sort of payoff?
     For lines #7-#9, Art Petersen believes "To reach Tombstone, Soapy had to take one of the several stages running from B. In leaving Tombstone, he calculated the cost of the drive back to Benson. It was $7, but in calculating that, he remembered that he had not yet accounted for the cost of the drive from Benson to Tombstone. There were several coaches in competition with one another at the time and always cutting their fares. The standard was was often cut to $4, $5, or $6, or $7. Soapy didn't remember what price he paid to Tombstone but he remembered the discount--40%, so he calculated that from the standard fare to find the $6 he paid. So he returned to Benson at some point presumably to continue his journey to El Paso, TX. He still had the rest of his ticket for travel.
     Line #10: He purchased a watch for $4.00.
     Line #11: Total expenses are $17.00 

Close-up
undecipherable word
Page 7

     Line 6 contains an undecipherable word that plagued me, so I posted close-up enlargement of it on some of the Tombstone history groups on Facebook, hoping someone might recognize the word as a place or name.
     Previously, I thought it was the name of a place, but from every individual who responded, I received the following suggestions.

• "JR"
• "JRs"
• "JR's"
• "JP"
• "JPs"
• "JP's"
• "IR" 
• "IRs" 
• "IR's"
  

It's a bit of a long shot, but could Soapy have sent his father ("JRS") $7? It is known that Soapy loved his father, but did not have a whole lot of respect for him. Perhaps he might have written "JRS" rather than "father?" It is known that his father wrote letters asking for money.
    Art Peterson writes,

     I'm sorry to report that I remain puzzled. You provide some helpful comparison letters. Those took time to gather, showing you're as uncomfortable with the burden of the puzzle as I--probably more as you are the master puzzler of the notebook! Well, of all the comparison letters, I side with those who see JP. Soapy seems to drop the right leg off his Rs in a strong, vertical fashion whereas with a P, the line tends toward the horizontal. Today, the letter before the second suggest "Cl," but I have no idea what to do with those. Of the comparison letters, J seems closest to me--a hastily formed J.
     So what might JP stand for? In line with your payoff thought, JP could stand for Justice Peace. Or it could stand for some person, his initials. I looked again at all the towns around Tombstone; none suggests the letters in question.
     I also read the stagecoach history again to see if one of the names of the several owners of stage lines might be related. No. The article, Stage Coach Lines gives an interesting transportation picture of the region.
     Young Soapy at that time wanted to keep track of his costs. He lists the ticket from SF. He records a benchmark, being in LA. He records his basic costs in Tombstone City. It makes sense to me that he would record the cost of travel from Benson to Tombstone, and the $7 one way is in line with the fare about that time. His wanting to keep track of his costs keeps dragging me back to interpreting the $7 & $6 as the cost of transport over the 24 miles between Benson & Tombstone. If those costs or one of them is not for transport, why would he leave the cost out? There could be an explanation, of course--that he let the driver make a "sure thing" bet with him for the ride and the driver lost, making the $6 for something else, maybe for what you say, a payoff. Could be you're going to have to leave this line in an unknown state, the worst kind for a puzzler.
     Seems to me you've made a worthy effort on this line. Maybe time to move on. When it comes time to put together a transcription of the whole (which would make a very interesting read since it seems to be pretty much chronological and makes a narrative), there'll be opportunity to look back with fresh eyes.

I have to agree with Art. I could guess, but with so many choices I don't see it fair to history to "decide." I leave it for a future time.

THANK YOU ART PETERSEN FOR YOUR SKILLS IN
DECIPHERING AND RATIONALE 

 

 

Visit the Soapy Smith Soap Box blog

 

TOMBSTONE
Mar 23, 2009
Sep 25, 2009
Nov 13, 2009
Aug 19, 2010
Dec 26, 2010
Sep 04, 2020
Feb 25, 2021
Mar 04, 2021

STAR NOTEBOOK
April 24, 2017
Part #1
Part #2
Part #3
Part #4
Part #5 
Part #6
Part #8
Part #9
Part #10
Part #11
Part #12
Part #13 (not published yet)
Part #14 (not published yet)
Part #15 (not published yet)
Part #16 (not published yet)

 

 

"Never give a sucker an even break or smarten up a chump."

—Edward Francis Albee (1857-1930)

Soapy Smith's "STAR" notebook, 1882: Part #6 - page 6

Soapy Smith's "star" notebook
page 6 - original
1883
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

(Click image to enlarge)

THIS POST UPDATED
August 21, 2023

OAPY SMITH'S "STAR" NOTEBOOK

Part #6 - page 6

      This is part #6 - page 6, the continuation of deciphering Soapy Smith's "star" notebook from the Geri Murphy's collection. A complete introduction to this notebook can be seen on page 1.

     The notebook(s) are in Soapy's handwriting, and often times pretty hard to decipher. A large part of this series of posts is to transcribe the pages, one-at-a-time, and receive help from readers on identifying words I am having trouble with, as well as correcting any of my deciphered words. I will include the original copy of each page, an enhanced copy of each page, a copy in negative, and a copy with typed out text, as tools to aid in deciphering the notes. There are a total of 24 pages. This means that there may be upwards of 24 individuals posts for this one notebook. Links to the past and future pages (pages 1, 2, 3, etc.) will be added at the bottom of each post for ease of research. When completed there will be a sourced partial record of Soapy's activities and whereabouts for 1882-1883.
     This page has been successfully deciphered, and positively dated 1883.
     Important to note that the pages of the notebook do not appear to be in chronological order, with Soapy making additional notes on a town and topic several pages later.

 

Soapy Smith's "star" notebook
Page 6 - enhanced
1883
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

Click image to enlarge

 

Soapy Smith's "star" notebook
page 6 - negative
1883
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

 Click image to enlarge

     Here is what I believe to be the correct deciphering of the text. Do you agree, or do you see something else? There are two words I have not been able to decipher positively. All comments, suggestions and ideas are welcome! I will update the new information to this post.

Rear of page 5 (top).

• Line 1: "Left San Francisco" [California]
  
• Line 2: "Dec 8th paid for 1883"
  
• Line 3: "fare to El Paso Tex 60.00"
• Line 4: "Left Los Angeles Dec 14th"
  
  

Interpretation: An accounting of his travels in California and Texas in December 1883.

Page 6 (bottom).

• Line 1: "Sales in Tombstone" [Arizona]
• Line 2: "A.T. [Arizona Territory] 1883"
• Line 3: "Dec 17th Mon. [Monday] .....$65.00"
• Line 4: "Dec 18th T [Tuesday] ...........$58.00"
  
• Line 5: "Dec 19th W [Wednesday] .....$53.00"
• Line 6: "Dec 20th T [Thursday] ..........$57.00"
• Line 7: "Dec 21st F [Friday] ...............$23.00"
• Line 8: "Dec 22nd Sat [Saturday] .......$58.50"
• Line 9: "...........................[total]..........$314.50"
• Line 10: "Sent b[?] Dixon"
  
• Line 11: "$20.00 Dec 22nd 1883"
  
• Line 12: "Po [Post office] order Tombstone"
• Line 13: "Sales in Tucson" [Arizona]
  
• Line 14: "Monday Dec 24 1883"
• Line 15: "1 sale ...................................$90.00"
  

Interpretation: Soapy worked the prize package soap sell racket in Tombstone, Arizona, between December 17-22, 1883 raking in $314.50 for six days work, which is equivalent to $10,148.26 in 2023. That a nice sum, especially considering that each day of work likely amounted to just several hours, and the fact that the pay of the average soldier in 1883 was $13 a-month! Also interesting is that Soapy was only 23 years old at this time. Making this kind of money, one might understand why Soapy chose to remain in the bunco field. 
     Line #10-#12 Soapy sends "b Dixon" $20.00. Was this a loan to someone named Dixon? Was Soapy paying Dixon based on a loan from Dixon? Could "Dixon" be a town, such as Dixon, California, or Wyoming?

     Soapy operates in Tucson, Arizona on December 24, 1883 (Christmas eve) for a profit of $90.00.

Visit the Soapy Smith Soap Box blog

 

SAN FRANCISCO

Oct 06, 2009
Dec 26, 2009 (pt. 1)
Dec 26, 2009 (pt. 2)
Jan 03, 2012
Feb 22, 2021
Feb 23, 2021

TOMBSTONE

Mar 23, 2009
Sep 25, 2009
Nov 13, 2009
Aug 19, 2010
Dec 26, 2010
Sep 04, 2020
Feb 25, 2021
Mar 04, 2021

STAR NOTEBOOK

April 24, 2017
Part #1
Part #2
Part #3
Part #4
Part #5 
Part #7
Part #8
Part #9
Part #10
Part #11
Part #12
Part #13 (not published yet)
Part #14 (not published yet)
Part #15 (not published yet)
Part #16 (not published yet)

"Nobody ever went bowlegged carrying away the money they won from me."

—"Poker Alice" Tubbs

Soapy Smith's "STAR" notebook, 1882: Part #5 - page 5

Soapy Smith's "star" notebook
page 5 - original
1882
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

(Click image to enlarge)

     

OAPY SMITH'S "STAR" NOTEBOOK
Part #5 - page 5

     This is part #5 - page 5, the continuation of deciphering Soapy Smith's "star" notebook from the Geri Murphy's collection. A complete introduction to this notebook can be seen on page 1.

     The notebook(s) are in Soapy's handwriting, and often times pretty hard to decipher. A large part of this series of posts is to transcribe the pages, one-at-a-time, and receive help from readers on identifying words I am having trouble with, as well as correcting any of my deciphered words. I will include the original copy of each page, an enhanced copy of each page, a copy in negative, and a copy with typed out text, as tools to aid in deciphering the notes. There are a total of 24 pages. This means that there may be upwards of 24 individuals posts for this one notebook. Links to the past and future pages (pages 1, 2, 3, etc.) will be added at the bottom of each post for ease of research. When completed there will be a sourced partial record of Soapy's activities and whereabouts for 1882-1883.
     This page has been successfully deciphered, and positively dated 1882.
     Important to note that the pages of the notebook do not appear to be in chronological order, with Soapy making additional notes on a town and topic several pages later.

Soapy Smith's "star" notebook
page 5 - enhanced
1882
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

(Click image to enlarge)

Soapy Smith's "star" notebook
page 5 - negative
1882
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

(Click image to enlarge)

     Here is what I believe to be the correct deciphering of the text. Do you agree, or do you see something else? There are two words I have not been able to decipher positively. All comments, suggestions and ideas are welcome! I will update the new information to this post.

Rear of page 4 (top).

• Line 1: "Salem Fair" [Oregon]
  
• Line 2: "Mo. [Monday] Sept 18th 00.00"
  
• Line 3: "T. [Tuesday] Sept 19th sales $109.00"
• Line 4: "W. [Wednesday] 20th sales 150.00"
  
• Line 5: "T. [Thursday] 21st 107.00"
  
• Line 6: "F. [Friday] 22 111.00"
• Line 7: "T. [Tuesday] Sep 19 in Salem 65.00"
  
• Line 8: "Total $542.00"
  
• Line 9: "4 days work"
• Line 10: "Dayton, W. T. [Washington Territory]"
  
• Line 11: "Sep 27th 90.00" [Sept]
• Line 12: "28 55.00" [Sept]
• Line 13: "29 25.00" [Sept]
• Line 14: "30 85.00" [Sept]
• Line 15: "255.00" [total]
  

Interpretation: In examining the calendar Between 1876-1893, it can be seen that the dates listed, for instance, Monday, September 18th, only occurs in 1882.
     Soapy Smith worked the Oregon State Fair of 1882 in north Salem, the state capital, between September 18-22, 1882. He jots down five days of monetary amounts for each day, totaling $542.00 (the equivalent of $16,894.58 in 2023). The fair ran September 19th through September 22nd.
     Note on line 7, he adds another Tuesday profit of $65.00 "in Salem." Line 3, the first Tuesday notation was for money made at the fair, while the second amount was made "in Salem itself.

     It is known that Soapy was operating his prize package soap sell racket in early August in other parts of Oregon. On August 2, 1882 he purchased a vendor's license in Portland. On September 16, Soapy purchased a vendor's license granting him permission to "hawk his prize soap" on the city streets of Salem for the period of one week from September 16, 1882 to September 23 for the fee of $15.25. The license is filled out by City Recorder, Charles W. Bowie.

     Next, Soapy goes to Dayton, Washington Territory and works four days [I believe] at the Columbia County Fair. In 1859 the dates for the fair were set for September 28-30, so it makes sense that those dates were the same when Soapy operated on September 27-30, 1882. He made a total of $255.00 (the equivalent of $7,948.56 in 2023).

 

Page 5 (bottom).

• Line 1: "Santa Cruz" [California]
• Line 2: "Cal [California.] 19 & 20th of Oct"
• Line 3: "13 sales $190.00"
• Line 4: "Hollister" [California]
  
• Line 5: "2 days work"
• Line 6: "22 & 23rd. Oct $235.00"
• Line 7: "Gilroy 31 60.00" [California]
• Line 8: "Vallejo 29th" [California]
• Line 9: "Oct one sale 93.00"
• Line 10: "St Helena" [California]
  
• Line 11: "Dec 2nd one sale $114.00"
• Line 12: "Woodland [California] Nov 29th"
• Line 13: "one sale $91.50"
• Line 14: "Tulare [California] Dec 12. $52.00"

Interpretation: I believe the year is 1882 (October-December), as the top page is dated 1882. Soapy is traveling through California, operating, at least on this page, October 19 - December 12, 1882.

     Santa Cruz County Fair (originally called the Agricultural County Fair) opens for the first time on October 16, 1882, three days before Soapy arrived there. He operated 13 separate sales for a total of $190, which is equivalent to $5,922.45 as of this posting.

     Next, Soapy arrives in Hollister, California where he operated for two days, October 22-23 making $235.00. I could not find much on Hollister's history in 1882, but obviously it was large enough for Soapy to make the equivalent of $7,325.14 in 2023 dollars, for two days work.
     Soapy worked in Gilroy, California on October 31, 1882, where he made $62.00 ($1,932.59 in 2023). Gilroy was known as the "Tobacco Capitol of the World" and there was a "Tobacco Festival" which ended in 1882, and likely Soapy was not aware, probably going by a "fair list" he had purchased, leading him to all these fairs he was attending. This could explain why Soapy stayed one day, perhaps even just hours.
     Soapy operated one sale in one day (October 29) in Vallejo, California at one of several Solano County agriculture-related fairs. The sale profited $93.00. ($2,898.89 in 2023.

     In St Helena, California Soapy operated one sale on December 2, 1882, raking in $114.00 ($3,553.47 in 2023) at possibly the County Exposition, the only fair I could find in the area in 1882.
     On November 29, 1882 operates one sale in Woodland, California for $91.50 ($2,852.13 in 2023). I could not find any fairs previous to 1893.
     Soapy arrived in Tulare, California on December 12, 1882, making $52.00 for one day's work. ($1,620.88 in 2023).
     On this page of the notebook Soapy operated for just 18 days between September 18 - December 12, 1882. In that three week time period he made $837.50. This is the equivalent of $26,105.56 in 2023!

 

Visit the Soapy Smith Soap Box blog

 

Salem, Oregon
April 24, 2017
Part #1
Part #2
Part #3
Part #4
Part #6
Part #7
Part #8
Part #9
Part #10
Part #11
Part #12
Part #13 (not published yet)
Part #14 (not published yet)
Part #15 (not published yet)
Part #16 (not published yet)

 

"If you steal from one person its plaigarism, 

if you steal from four, its research."

~Wilson Mizner, confidence man

Soapy Smith's "STAR" notebook, 1882-83: Part #4 - page 4

Soapy Smith's "star" notebook
page 4 - original
1882-1883
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

(Click image to enlarge)

THIS POST UPDATED
August 24, 2023

OAPY SMITH'S "STAR" NOTEBOOK
Part #4 - page 4

     This is part #4 - page 4, the continuation of deciphering Soapy Smith's "star" notebook from the Geri Murphy's collection. A complete introduction to this notebook can be seen on page 1.
     The notebook is in Soapy's handwriting, and sometimes pretty hard to decipher. The goal is to transcribe the pages, receiving help from readers to identify words I am having trouble with. Included is the original copy of each page, an enhanced copy, a copy in the negative, and a deciphered copy, as tools to aid in translating the notebook. There are 24 pages and this means that there may be upwards of 24 individual posts for this one notebook. Links to the pages can be viewed at the bottom of the post for ease of research. When completed there will be a sourced partial record of Soapy's activities and whereabouts for 1882-1883.
     Important to note that the pages of the notebook do not appear to be in chronological order, with Soapy making additional notes on a town and topic several pages later.

Soapy Smith's "star" notebook
page 4 - enhanced
1882-1883
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

(Click image to enlarge)

Soapy Smith's "star" notebook
page 4 - negative
1882-1883
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

(Click image to enlarge)

Here is what I believe to be the correct deciphering of the text. Do you agree, or do you see something else? There are some words I have not yet been able to decipher. Do you know what jam races are? Could they be kin to the "jam auction?" All comments, suggestions and ideas are welcome! I will update the new information to this post.

Soapy Smith's "star" notebook
page 4 - deciphered
1882-1883
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

(Click image to enlarge)

Rear of page 3 (top).

• Line 1: "Oh SuSana don't you"
  
• Line 2: "grieve for me"
  
• Line 3: "I am going away to"
• Line 4: "love you"
  
• Line 5: "Oh I love that gal"
  
• Line 6: "away out west"
• Line 7: "white folks call"
  
• Line 8: "Susanhah"
  
• Line 9: "Old Man Cares"
• Line 10: "he uses snuff tho"
  
• Line 11: "factory gals they"
  
• Line 12: "ask him roughly"

Interpretation: According to Soapy and his cousin Edwin B. Smith, Soapy played a banjo and sang songs when he was a "cheap John" (kin to a "jam auction") in Round Rock, Texas. It appears that Soapy was inventing his own lyrics. Could the date of this note be an earlier one, 1877-78 when he was still in Texas? Or perhaps Soapy was still playing the banjo?

 

Page 4 (bottom).

• Line 1: "Hillsboro 1st Sept" [Oregon]
• Line 2: "McMinnville 2" [Oregon]
• Line 3: "Independence 4 Sept" [Oregon]
• Line 4: "Corvallis 5" [Oregon]
• Line 5: "Albany 6 or 7th" [Oregon]
• Line 6: "25 gross [thuans? or thuars?] 5.00 125.00"
• Line 7: "1 O'Leary belt wheel 100.00"
• Line 8: "2 gross whistles 5.00 10.00"
• Line 9: "1 Hap Hazzard 15.00"
• Line 10: "W. A. Ergennan [Eungennan?]"
  
• Line 11: "Brighton Beach" [Oregon]
• Line 12: "race course"
• Line 13: "New Orleans"
• Line 14: "Jam races"
• Line 15: "Mobile Memphis" [Tennessee]
• Line 16: "Nashville" [Tennessee]

Interpretation: I believe the year is 1882, but it could also possibly be as early as 1877-78. In those early Texas days he talks of singing songs and playing a banjo. Soapy is traveling through Oregon and purchases an O'Leary gambling belt wheel [gaffed] and some small cheap prizes, the larger primary prizes are cash. People pay to play, in hopes of winning a large cash prize, but only win small junk. Gambling and Gambling Devices by John P. Quinn, 1912. Thanks and credit go to my friend Pete Angelos  for information on the O'Leary Belt Wheel!
     The "O'Leary Belt wheel" that Soapy purchased for $100 is described in the book, Gambling and Gambling Devices by John P. Quinn, 1912 (courtesy of Pete Angelos).


Like the other swindling devices herein described, the mechanism of this contrivance is easily operated, and, when explained, readily comprehended. It is, however, what is called, in the slang of the street, "a sure winner" for the manipulator. Thousands of dollars have been won through its operation in a single day, and one used on the streets of Cincinnati won $125,000 in six months.






The O'leary Belt [Wheel]
Gambling and Gambling Devices
by John P. Quinn, 1912
Courtesy of Pete Angelos

     In Order to work it successfully, it is indispensable that the top of the machine be raised high enough above the heads of the surrounding crowd to prevent the bystanders from seeing the interior, inasmuch as such a view would disclose the apparatus by means of which they would be robbed of their money. With this end in view. the operator generally operates it from a buggy, the upper part of the machine standing about three feet above the floor of the conveyance.
     As will be seen in the cut [picture], the device consists of a hoop-wheel, a supporting rod and a box platform, supporting the rod and wheel. The apparatus may be taken apart and neatly placed in this box. On the box is placed a valise containing money. The wheel, or "belt," is made of brass, and is about sixteen inches in diameter and four inches broad. It contains thirty-two compartments, each one containing a card, which is held in position by a small fold of metal on each of three sides. These cards may be perfectly blank, though usually they contain pictures of famous celebrities. The valise, which is shown in the illustration at the foot of the upright rod, contains money. Inside the metal hoop is a leather belt, of which, at equal distances, are pained numbers representing sums of money, so arranged that one will fall behind each alternate compartment. When the cards are raised, the belt is seen through a rectangular opening at the back.
     The driver of the buggy carries a number of whips. As soon as a crowd has gathered around him (which is certain to happen in a very few moments), he informs the spectators that any one or more may, for $1.00, purchase a chance to win a money prize, varying in amounts from $1.00 to $20.00. Some one having expressed an inclination to buy, the proprietor takes his money and hands him a whip, with which to point to any one of the thirty-two sections of the "hoop" which he may select. The purchaser having rested the whip on a compartment, the operator removes the cards which he has touched. Underneath is shown either a blank space on the belt or one inscribed with a certain sum. If it happens to be the latter, the buyer is given the amount indicated; if the former, he receives nothing.
     The name of this device is supposed to be the same as that of the inventor. A well-known confidence operator by the name of O'Leary flourished some years ago, who was recognized among his companions as an expert manipulator of this apparatus, and it is generally believed among the guild of peripatetic gamesters that the idea of its construction was conceived in his fertile brain, through the direct inspiration of the antipodes of Providence.

Pete Angelos also found some information on the "Hap Hazzard," which is correctly spelled with one z in the 1896 Will and Finck catalog listing it, and also calling it the coffee pot or bee hive.

 

Hap Hazard [Bee Hive]
Gambling and Gambling Devices
by John P. Quinn, 1912
Courtesy of Pete Angelos

     The accompanying illustration gives an excellent idea of the general appearance of this device. It consists of two cones, the inner one of which is placed upon circular pieces of wood, around the rim of which are thirty-two compartments, numbered from one to thirty-two, and separated by thin metal plates. Driven into the surface of the inner cone are small nails or metal pegs, the arrangement of which is a matter of comparative indifference, although they are usually rather close together and approximately equi-distant. The outer cone serves as a cap or case.
     An unsophisticated player can never win except through the consent of the operator. In order to encourage the crowd in playing, “cappers” have to be employed, who are always on hand to draw prizes.
     The ball is in sight from start to finish, so that while the player can see the play and know just where the ball stops, it is impossible to detect the secret working of the machine.
     This machine is specially made to catch “suckers” and is full of honey, but the “suckers” don’t get any of the honey; they are lucky to get a piece of beeswax.

“The little bee sucks the blossom.
The big bee gets the honey,
The sucker does the work,
And the gambler takes the money.”

 

 

O'Leary Belt and Hap Hazard
Will and Finck catalogue
1896
Courtesy of Pete Angelos

 

 

Special thanks to Art Petersen and Pete Angelos
for their skills in deciphering and historical research.

Visit the Soapy Smith Soap Box blog

 

April 24, 2017
Part #1
Part #2
Part #3
Part #5 
Part #6
Part #7
Part #8
Part #9
Part #10
Part #11
Part #12
Part #13 (not published yet)
Part #14 (not published yet)
Part #15 (not published yet)
Part #16 (not published yet)

"There's opportunity in poker.... If Horace Greeley were alive today, his advice wouldn't be 'Go West, young man, and grow up with the country.' Instead, he'd point to that deck of cards on table and say, 'Shuffle up and deal.'"

—Lou Krieger