Showing posts with label Colorado. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Colorado. Show all posts

June 1, 2025

Soapy Smith's "STAR" notebook, 1884, Denver: Page #20

Soapy Smith STAR Notebook
Page 20 - Original copy
1884
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

(Click image to enlarge)





oapy Smith's early empire growth in Denver.
Operating the prize package soap sell racket in 1884.

This is page 20, the continuation of page 19, and dated May 6 - May 29, 1884, as well as the continuation of pages 18-19, the beginning of Soapy Smith's criminal empire building in Denver, Colorado. 
     It is 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.
These notebook pages have never been published before! They continue to be of revealing interest. The picture that the pages draw is of young 22 year-old Jefferson pursuing "soap sales" over a very wide spread of territory and in a very tenacious, even driven, way.
     The notebook(s) are in Soapy's handwriting, and sometimes 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. My long time friend, and publisher, Art Petersen, has been a great help in deciphering and adding additional information.
     I will include the original copy, an enhanced copy, and a negative copy of each page. Also included will be 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 1882-1884.
     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.
     Pages 18-20 are very important as they are descriptions of Soapy's early beginnings of his criminal empire in Denver. From my research I know that Charles L. "Doc" Baggs and "Big Ed" Chase are the two main bunko bosses in Denver, and Soapy is not yet fully entrenched in the Denver underworld at this time.
     Although the communication of twenty-one-year-old Soapy Smith is with himself, the writing also communicates with us about him 142 years later (and potentially far beyond today).
     The bulk of page 20 is a list of sales (soap) in Denver, along with a few plans for future work trips.      
     Below are my attempts to attempts to make the writing easier to see and decipher.

Soapy Smith STAR Notebook
Page 20 - Enhanced copy
1884
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

(Click image to enlarge)


Soapy Smith STAR Notebook
Page 20 - Negative copy
1884
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

(Click image to enlarge)


Soapy Smith STAR Notebook
Page 20 - Deciphered copy
1884
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

(Click image to enlarge)


Page 20
  • Line 1: "May 6th two sales $71.00" [1884]
  • Line 2: "May 7th two sales $75.00" 
  • Line 3: "May 8th 000 00.00"
  • Line 4: " ' ' [May] 9 000" [scratched out]
  • Line 5: "May 10 two sales [$]43.00"
  • Line 6: "May 11 Sunday 0000"
  • Line 7: "May 12 two sales [$]2800"
  • Line 8: " ' ' [May] 13 00 0000"
  • Line 9: "May 14 one sale [$]2600"
  • Line 10: "May 15 one sale [$]2000"
  • Line 11: "May 16th 000 0000"
  • Line 12: "May 18 two sales $7600"
  • Line 13: "May 19 one sale [$]7400"
  • Line 14: "Race Trinidad [Colorado] June 2d [2nd]"
  • Line 15: "C. Gus Jones."
  • Line 16: "Ft. Worth"
  • Line 17: "Tex" [Texas]
  • Line 18: "C. Gus Jones"
  • Line 19: "Racs [races] 27. 28 and 29 May"
  • Line 20: "at Cheyenne" [Wyoming]
     One hundred and forty-one years ago, Soapy Smith was enjoying considerable "sales" success on Denver street corners with the prize package soap sell racket. On Tuesday May 6, for two sales, he made $71, the equivalent of making $2,523.54 in 2025 dollars. On Monday, May 19, in just one sale he obtained $74 (equivalent to $2,630.17). Over the 14 days he operated, May 6 – 19, he worked 8 days and took in $413 (equivalent to $14,679.20), about $51.63 ($1,835.08) per work day, which was an enormous amount in 1884. Even better is taking into consideration that each sale probably didn't last longer than 30 minutes, thus in the 8 days he performed a total of 13 sales for a total of 6.5 hours, meaning that Soapy was making about $63.54 per hour! That's good money today, but that $63.54 is equivalent of $2,258.39 per hour in 2025 dollars! Guess he could afford to take the 5 days off that he did (lines 3, 4, 6, 8 and 11). 
     Note that his days off are not really consecutive (May 8, 9, 11, 13 and 16). Perhaps he also took days off because he felt he should, or had to. Several possible reasons come to mind, such as to allow sore losers time to move on, to allow the market to refresh with new customers, and to reduce exposure that could attract the constabulary, or even a policeman's threat of arrest, or the complaint by one of his victims.
     One must wonder who Jones from lines 15 and 18 might be. A supplier of goods in Fort Worth? A friend? A Ft Worth confidence man Soapy knows, or perhaps a victim seeking the return of his losses? I looked for a "C. Gus Jones" in Texas during this period and found one Gus Jones, a Black machinist and family man.

Union Pacific Railroad map
1883
Courtesy of Library of Congress

Click image to enlarge

     The final comments are in regards to the races in Cheyenne, Wyoming on May 27-29, 1884. A Cheyenne newspaper tells of races in May but of their not being well attended because of the weather. The same paper reported ongoing lightning, heavy rain, and flooding. Going to Cheyenne from Denver was about a one-day journey on the Union Pacific Railroad. The 1883 Union Pacific map above shows an established route that ran about 110 miles north to Cheyenne, less than half the distance to Trinidad. The distance makes Cheyenne as likely a place to take in races as Trinidad. If Soapy went to Cheyenne for those three days of races as he apparently considered doing, he was likely disappointed by the weather.

The Democratic Leader
Cheyenne, Wyoming
May 29, 1884

Click image to enlarge


The Democratic Leader
Cheyenne, Wyoming
May 29, 1884

Click image to enlarge



 










Part #24 (not published yet)








"Neither gunman nor ruffian, but always a lawless marauder, he was the Robin Hood of the frontier. Continually at odds with the law, which pursued him in endless exasperation, he was, frequently, the law’s best friend."
—The Reign of Soapy Smith, 1935










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April 3, 2025

Soapy Smith's "STAR" notebook, 1884, early Denver: Part #19 - page 19

Soapy Smith STAR Notebook
Page 19 - Original copy
1884
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

(Click image to enlarge)




oapy Smith begins an empire in Denver.
Operating the prize package soap sell racket in 1884.

This is page 19, the continuation of page 18, and dated April 14 - May 5, 1884, 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.
     These notebook pages have never been published before! They continue to be of revealing interest. The picture that the pages draw is of young 22 year-old Jefferson pursuing "soap sales" over a very wide spread of territory and in a very tenacious, even driven, way.
     The notebook(s) are in Soapy's handwriting, and sometimes 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. My long time friend, and publisher, Art Petersen, has been a great help in deciphering and adding additional information.
     I will include the original copy, an enhanced copy, and a negative copy of each page. Also included will be 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 1882-1884.
     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.
     In one noticeable respect, page 18 and 19 are different from most of the other pages seen so far, as it is notes taken after the fact. Page 18 and 19 are also different as they are descriptions of his early operations and the beginnings of his criminal empire in Denver. From my research I know that Charles L. "Doc" Baggs and "Big Ed" Chase are the two main bunko bosses in Denver, and Soapy is not yet fully entrenched in Denver at this time, but this page is the beginning stage of his empire there.
     Although the communication of twenty-one-year-old Soapy Smith is with himself, the writing also communicates with us about him 142 years later (and potentially far beyond today).
     The bulk of page 19 is a list of sales (soap) in Denver. 2/3 down the page begins more notes on future trips in Colorado and New Mexico. Below that is a list of names and monetary figures. Are these men early gang members?      
     Below are my attempts to attempts to make the writing easier to see and decipher.

Soapy Smith STAR Notebook
Page 19 - Enhanced copy
1884
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

(Click image to enlarge)


Soapy Smith STAR Notebook
Page 19 - Negative copy
1884
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

(Click image to enlarge)


Soapy Smith STAR Notebook
Page 19 - Deciphered copy
1884
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

(Click image to enlarge)


     Page 19 contains quite a bit of interesting information about the successful start of Soapy's career in Denver.
     For consideration of page 19, I looked back to page 18 and how Soapy tracked his sales data. He began selling in Denver on March 28, a Friday. He worked Saturday the 29th. No dates are listed for the 30th, 31st, or the 1st. The next date to appear is April 2, and dates continue on this page to the 12th. Between the 2nd and the 12th, one date does not appear, the 6th, which was a Sunday. A conclusion to be drawn is that Soapy was filling in lines of the notebook a day at a time. When he did not work, he recorded no date.
     Page 19 is different. It continues from April 12th on page 18 with April 14, skipping the 13th, a Sunday, so apparently not a work day for Soapy's swindles. He later changed that policy, working every day that he had the opportunity, including Sunday's and holidays. Then, as evidence shows, he listed the next 17 dates ahead of time and filled in each day's data. For the month of May, however, he changed back to the day by day method of recording as used on page 18. May 4, a Sunday, is not listed because in the day by day method, he had nothing to record for that day. 

Page 19
  • Line 1: "2 Sales $55.00 Apr. [April] 14th [1884]"
  • Line 2: "2 Sales $51.00 Apr [April] 15th." 
  • Line 3: "1 Sale $31.00 Apr [April] 16."
  • Line 4: "0 ' ' [Sale] 0000 ' ' [April] 17."
  • Line 5: "0 ' ' [Sale] 0000 ' ' [April] 18th"
  • Line 6: "0 ' ' [Sale] 0000 ' ' [April] 19th"
  • Line 7: "0 ' ' [Sale] 0000 ' ' [April] 20th"
  • Line 8: "0 ' ' [Sale] 0000 ' ' [April] 21st"
  • Line 9: "0 ' ' [Sale] 000 ' ' [April] 22nd"
  • Line 10: "0 ' ' [Sale] 000 ' ' [April] 23rd"
  • Line 11: "0 ' ' [Sale] 000 ' ' [April] 24th"
  • Line 12: "0 ' ' [Sale] 0000 ' ' [April] 25th"
Notes: From April 17 to 25 (lines 4 to 12), 9 days, the notebook shows Soapy did not work, or, at least did not make any money from his street swindles. For those days, he entered zeros next to those already listed dates. Why he ceased working during this period could be for any number of reasons. Had he been arrested and incarcerated? No record shows (so far) that happening. Was he ill? Was he working somewhere, in a saloon gambling house, or other establishment? Nothing (yet) shows evidence for these possibilities. 
  • Line 13: "2 Sales $74.00 [April] 26th"
  • Line 14: "0 [Sales] 00 [April] 27.th"
  • Line 15: "1 Sale $65.00 [April] 28.th"
  • Line 16: "1 Sale [$]30.00 [April] 29.th"
  • Line 17: "1 Sale [$]22.00 [April] 30.th"
  • Line 18: "May 1.st 1884"
  • Line 19: "3 Sales $114.00"
  • Line 20: "2 ' ' [Sales] 2.d May. $70.00"
  • Line 21: "3 Sales 3 May. $110.00"
  • Line 22: "1 Sale 5th May. $35.00"
  • Line 23: "Fair at Albuquerque [New Mexico]"
  • Line 24: "1st week October [1884]"
  • Line 25: "Order to Dick Clark"

Albuquerque Morning Democrat
September 30, 1884

There will no doubt be an influx of confidence men and thieves into Albuquerque during fair week, and the action of Chief Richmond, in ordering them out of town as soon as he discovers them, is highly commendable.

     The Albuquerque Fair ran six days, from October 6-11. I don't see Soapy as recording that he went to the October Albuquerque fair in April, or that he went back to that page 6 months later to make the notation. I see him as recording an order he placed on "Apr 22" in preparation to go to the fair 6 months later. Why did he decide the October fair would be a good investment of his money and time? The local police chief was expecting the likes of Soapy Smith. My guess is that while on an April train trip from Denver, he learned about the territorial fair, perhaps from someone named Dick Clark. He might have gone to Albuquerque to check out New Mexico's largest community. The order with Clark was made on the 22nd, about in the middle of his absence from Denver, giving plenty of time to reach Albuquerque, spend a night or two there and meet the Dick Clark person with whom he placed an order (for something) related to the future fair.
  • Line 26: "12874 22.d Apr. [April]"
     The last portion of page 19 is devoted to two other matters, and these help to explain the 9 days of zeros. The first matter is a note about attending the "Fair at Albuquerque, / 1st week October." Indeed that's when that fair occurred, October 6-11, 1884. In preparation, he made note of having placed an order for something with Dick Clark on "22 Apr." That date is among the 9 days over which he made no "Sales." A number appears beside this notation, 12874 which is apparently in connection with it. Could it be the monetary figure: $128.74?Or perhaps an order number? That this information about the fair and an order is a unit is shown by a line that half encircles these data points. The numbers do not seem to be a money figure. With so large a figure, surely Soapy would have used a dollar figure (as he so often does) if the numbers stood for dollars. Even when there's no cents to compute, Soapy signifies no cents with zeros. Neither appear with the number.
  • Line 27: "Races at Trinidad." [likely Colorado]
Notes: The scenario I laid out began with a hypothesis, that the 9-day absence was based on some event, possibly a train trip south as other events (arrest, sickness) don't account for other evidence on the page. From that idea, I developed a theory that included the evidence—the "Races at Trinidad" and (showing he was there for them) the names under that heading, one of which is a known horse, Jumbo, and the Albuquerque fair and order notation. While the evidence does not make this proposed trip a fact, such as having a train ticket or the racing bet ticket stubs would do, still the circumstantial evidence accumulates in favor of being in southern locations. What different theory might account for all the evidence? One for me doesn't come to mind. Of course, though, it's worth looking for one.

Railroad map, 1884


     The evidence does not add up to the fact that a trip was taken, but it does make for a strong working theory of what the evidence could mean. I know I seem pretty sure about it, but I'm not one to insist on a theory. All this is submitted in the spirit of inquiry over what the evidence might mean, not what it does mean. That he attended races in Trinidad at some time during the period of April 17 to 25 is not just possible but probable. Two communities in the U.S. are named Trinidad. The small one on the coast of northern California, named in the 16th century by the Spanish, is 1,377 miles to the west. The other Trinidad is 195 miles south of Denver, which in 1884 could be reached by rail on the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe railroad. A visit to the California Trinidad would be a round-trip of two to three weeks. A journey that included the Colorado Trinidad, however, would be a round trip journey of 5 to 6 days, and if the trip included Albuquerque, 251 miles south of Trinidad, that would make for a trip of 7 to 9 days. If Jeff traveled during the 9 days he did not work in Denver, and was in Trinidad, he journeyed to the one south of Denver, not to the west in California.
     Such a trip probably was not expressly to Trinidad but to explore southern Colorado and to reconnoiter the 30 communities along the rail line to Trinidad near the border with New Mexico. The major ones are Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Rocky Ford, La Junta, and Trinidad. Beyond Trinidad to the south along the same railroad lay another 29 communities ending with Albuquerque. That Soapy was looking toward this largest community in New Mexico or near there or perhaps visiting there on or about 22 April is told by his notation about the territorial fair and his order for something that appears to be in connection with the fair.
  • Line 28: "Irish Jim $9.50"
Notes: Who is "Irish Jim?" A friend? An acquaintance? A new member of the growing soap gang? Perhaps the name of a horse Soapy wagered on? 
  • Line 29: "Gates $12.50"
Notes: Who is Gates? Did Soapy pay, or receive $12.50 from Gates? Perhaps the name of a horse Soapy wagered on?
  • Line 30: "Jumbo $4.00"
Notes: Jumbo was a race horse. Below are three newspaper clippings regarding Jumbo.

Jumbo
Albuquerque Evening Democrat
September 29, 1884


Jumbo at the Territorial Fair
Albuquerque Evening Democrat
October 10, 1884


Jumbo wins
Albuquerque Evening Democrat
October 13, 1884


  • Line 31: "Otto $5.00"
Notes: Name of race horse Soapy wagered on?
  • Line 32: "Cambell $5.00"
Notes: Wager on race horse?
  • Line 33: "Mart $3.00"
Notes: Wager on race horse?
  • Line 34: "Sumaiba $5.00"
Notes: Wager on race horse?

     As for a stop in Trinidad, that is told by his note about "Races in Trinidad." His attending horse races there is shown by the seven names listed under "Races": Irish Jim, Gates, Jumbo, Otto, Cambell, Mart, and Sumaiba. A dollar figure appears beside each name. If these are horses, the figures could be the amounts wagered and/or the amounts won on the races. At least one of the names is known to belong to a horse, Jumbo. He was recorded in the Albuquerque news prior to and during the fair in October as a plain-looking local horse made notable by his exceedingly fast speed once he got underway. A search for the other names did not reveal that they were horses, but as Jumbo turned up three times in 1884 as well as in Soapy's notes under "Races" strongly suggests the names under "Races" in his notebook are those of horses.
     If the figures beside the names were losses, probably Soapy the accountant would indicate so, such as the bet lost he recorded on notebook page 18. It seems unlikely Soapy could win so little if he had picked 7 first-place winners. Rather, the amounts seem more likely to be winnings from small parimutuel bets, that is, a bet that his horse would be among the three top winners. In parimutuel betting, winning tickets split the amounts lost by betters on horses below the top three. Developed in France in 1869, the practice was popular in Europe and the U.S.
     Soapy might have spent at least two days in Trinidad. To have 7 winners (win, place, or show) all in one day seems unlikely as 7 races do not seem possible in one afternoon. Over two afternoons, though, 7 wins could be possible.

24 DAYS OF SELLING PRIZE PACKAGE SOAP

From page 18 through page 19, 39 days passed. Of those, Soapy worked 24 days, held 38 sales, and took in $1,080.50 (or $36,207.56 in today's money). Soapy was making a success of his professional calling, "Sales," and it allowed him to take time off from selling for a train trip to explore communities to the south. The trip could have taken 3 days travel to Albuquerque, 1 day there, 1 day back to Trinidad, 2 days in Trinidad, and about 2 to return to Denver. That adds up to 9 days of not "selling" in Denver, which resumed on Saturday 26 April 1884, producing $74 or in today's dollars, $2,479.74 for that day's work.


24 Days of selling prize package soap
$1,080.50

(Click image to enlarge)



 









Part #24 (not published yet)









"Until lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunters."
—African Proverb




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March 11, 2025

Soapy Smith's "STAR" notebook, 1884, Denver: Part #18 - page 18

Soapy Smith STAR Notebook
Page 18 - Original copy
1884
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

(Click image to enlarge)



oapy Smith in Denver.
Operating the prize package soap sell racket in 1884.

This is page 18, the continuation of page 17, and dated March 28 - April 12, 1884, 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.
     These notebook pages have never been published before! They continue to be of revealing interest. The picture that the pages draw is of young 22 year-old Jefferson pursuing "soap sales" over a very wide spread of territory and in a very tenacious, even driven, way.
     The notebook(s) are in Soapy's handwriting, and sometimes 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. My long time friend, and publisher, Art Petersen, has been a great help in deciphering and adding additional information.
     I will include the original copy, an enhanced copy, and a negative copy of each page. Also included will be 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 1882-1884.
     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.
     In one noticeable respect, page 18 is different from most of the other pages seen so far, as it is notes taken after the fact. Page 18 is also different as it is a description of his operations in Denver, and only Denver. From my research I know that Soapy is not yet entrenched in Denver at this time, but this page may be the very beginning stages of that entrenchment.
     Although the communication of twenty-one-year-old Soapy Smith is with himself, the writing also communicates with us about him 142 years later (and potentially far beyond today).
     The first half of page 18 seems to be expense notes, and the second half begins to list income (which continues on p19).      
     Below are my attempts to attempts to make the writing easier to see and decipher.

Soapy Smith STAR Notebook
Page 18 - Enhanced copy
1884
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

(Click image to enlarge)


Soapy Smith STAR Notebook
Page 18 - Negative copy
1884
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

(Click image to enlarge)



Soapy Smith STAR Notebook
Page 18 - Deciphered copy
1884
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

(Click image to enlarge)

Page 18
  • Line 1: "Clothes from March 28 to [1884]"
  • Line 2: "Apr [April] 27. [$]75.00" 
Notes: Soapy paid $75 for clothes in the span of one month, between March 28 - April 27, 1884.
  • Line 3: "Board &. [$]75.00"
Notes: room and board, likely a hotel, for the same one month period, March 28 - April 27, 1884.
  • Line 4A: "incidental [$]70.00"
Notes: It's common to build "incidental[s]" into a budget.
  • Line 4B:"Paid RB [room and board] clerk [$]140.00"
Notes: Why is this different from Line 3? Was it another town, another hotel? Listed is $75.00 and then $140.00 as "Paid RB clerk." Instead of cost for board being listed twice, probably the 75 for "Board" is part of the $140 figure. That would make sense except that 75 + 70 = 145. Perhaps what's happening is that Soapy figures 70 may be what "incidental[s]" will come to, but in paying in advance for his stay, he paid the RB estimate of 75 but only 65 for "incidental[s]." If these came to more, he could pay upon checking out, OR, if he didn't use all the incidentals money, a refund would be due.
  • Line 5: "March 28th 1884"
  • Line 6: "ticket [$]5.00"
Notes: Train or stagecoach ticket?
  • Line 7: "License [$]10.00"
Notes: Likely a Denver city street vendors license. it is known that in other cities, Soapy did purchase "licenses" to engage in "sales." Ironically, following city ordinances often protected Soapy from legal problems.
  • Line 8: "lost [$]5.00 on bet."
Notes: Oh to know the details! This second "March 28th 1884" date may be a heading for expenses that day, including a notation for how much he has left ($114) after expenses "to open" his Denver sales campaign. The March 28 expenses list a license for $10 and $5 lost on a bet. These expenses seem clear, but two others are not—the "ticket" for $5 and the room also for $5. What was the ticket for—entrance to something, a train ticket? Or might the "ticket" be a printed sign of some kind that he could set up, or cards (as in business cards) for some purpose.  
  • Line 9: "room [$]5.00"
Notes: room and board for one night? He already paid for room and board, so what could another room be for—to conduct sales in, or a storeroom for storing sales good? Then there's the amount of $5, which is quite a bit ($167.55) for a room, unless it were over time, such as for a month. 
  • Line 10: "had [$]114.00 to open"
Notes: To open what? His street game? The prize package soap sell racket?
  • Line 11: "Commenced"
  • Line 12: "to sell in Denver"
Notes: He 'started' or 'begun" his game(s) in Denver, Colorado. 
  • Line 13: "4th time on Friday"
  • Line 14: "March 28th 1884"
Notes: March 28, 1884 is a Friday, but what does "4th time" refer to? Four sales, or four attempts? Perhaps it refers to prior visits since 1882-1883, as he was traveling the West for quite a while.
  • Line 15: "1. Sale $20.00 March 28th"
Notes: Line 13 implies it was the "4th time," however, line 15 reads only one sale?
  • Line 16: "2 Sales [$]55.00 ' ' [March] 29th [1884]"
Notes: Two sales for a total of $55 on March 29, 1884. He then took Sunday through Tuesday off, and began again on Wednesday, April 2nd, earning the largest amount of sales recorded on page 18, $74.50 ($2,645.50 in today's dollars).
  • Line 17: "2 Sales $74.50 Apr 2nd"
Notes: Two sales for a total of $74.50 on April 2, 1884.
  • Line 18: "2 ' ' [Sales] $28.00 ' ' [April] 3rd"
Notes: Two sales for a total of $28 on April 3, 1884.
  • Line 19: "2 ' ' [Sales] $39.00 ' ' [April] 4th"
Notes: Two sales for a total of $39 on April 4, 1884.
  • Line 20: "2 ' ' [Sales] $36.00 Apr 5th"
Notes: Two sales for a total of $36 on April 5, 1884.
  • Line 21: "2 ' ' [Sales] $45.00 Apr [April] 7th"
Notes: Two sales for a total of $45 on April 7, 1884.
  • Line 22: "2 Sales $32.00 Apr [April] 8th"
Notes: Two sales for a total of $32 on April 8, 1884.
  • Line 23: "1 Sale $28.00 ' ' [April] 9th"
Notes: One sale for $28 on April 9, 1884.
  • Line 24: "1 ' ' [Sale] $33.00 [April] 10th"
Notes: One sale for $33 on April 10, 1884.
  • Line 25: "1 Sale $14.00 ' ' [April] 11th"
Notes: One sale for $14 on April 11, 1884.
  • Line 26: "1 ' ' [Sale] $19.00 [April] 12th"
Notes: One sale for $19 on April 12, 1884.

     In Seattle in July 1882, over several days, Soapy took in $112 ($3,702,84 in today's dollars). "Several days" may be estimated to be three, so for the first three days of sales in Denver, Jeff took in $149.50 ($5,308.75) for an increase over Seattle sales of $37.50 ($1,331.63), or a 34% increase.
     Soapy's total income recorded on page 18 through April 12 (taking Sunday the 6th off) for 12 days' work through April 12, 1884, is $423.50 ($14,191.49). Soapy's skill at "selling" has apparently improved. Additionally, instead of moving from place to place, he's discovered a way to conduct his selling in one city without having to move from place to place. In this regard, if Jeff was working on 17th Street, the main thoroughfare from the train station, he had a steady stream of new customers all day every day.
     The Denver sales continue on notebook page #19



 



 









Part #24 (not published yet)







"If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday. "
—Pearl Buck
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January 29, 2025

Soapy Smith's "STAR" notebook, 1883: Part #15 - page 15



Soapy STAR notebook
Page 15 - Original copy
1883
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

(Click image to enlarge)





OAPY SMITH IN DENVER, WISCONSIN AND MINNESOTA.

This is page 15, dated July-September 1883, 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.
     These notebook pages have never been published before! They continue to be of revealing interest. The picture that the pages draw is of young 22 year-old Jefferson pursuing "soap sales" over a very wide spread of territory and in a very tenacious, even driven, way.
     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. My long time friend, and publisher, Art Petersen, has been a great help in deciphering and adding additional information. 
     I will include the original copy, an enhanced copy, and a negative copy of each page. Also included will be 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.
     Page 15 appears to be two separate sections, one on the top and the other on the bottom, the bottom portion being upside down. they appear to be separate notes written on different days. the top being prize package soap sales in Denver, Colorado, showing two days of five sales in July (14th and 16th) for a profit of $153.00., the equivalent of $5,237.16 in 2025. It seems Soapy is not entrenched in Denver yet, still operating as a nomad moving from town to town. 
     The bottom section, lines 9 – 20, were written upside down, indicating that the top and bottom sections were not written at the same time, possibly not on the same day. This bottom section represents a list of possible future work trips as the dates are not in consecutive order and intertwine with one another. He appears to be just taking notes. At this time it is not known if he went to any of these towns, except for Denver in the top section.
     Previous pages covered Soapy's operations in the far west, Oregon, Washington Territory, and California in 1882. Page #15 covers his possible journey further east in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Although the writing records the communication of twenty-one-year-old Soapy Smith with himself, the writing also communicates with us about him 142 years later (and potentially far beyond today). 
     Below are my attempts to attempts to make the writing easier to see and decipher.


Soapy STAR notebook
Page 15 - Enhanced copy
1883
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

(Click image to enlarge)


Soapy STAR notebook
Page 15 - Negative copy
1883
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

(Click image to enlarge)




Soapy STAR notebook
Page 15 - Deciphered copy
1883
Courtesy of Geri Murphy

(Click image to enlarge)



Page 15 - Top
  • Line 1: "Sales in Denver"
  • Line 2: "July 14" [1883]
  • Line 3: "1 sale $53⁰⁰"
  • Line 4: "2 '[sale] '21⁰⁰"
  • Line 5: "Monday July 16" [1883]
  • Line 6: "1st sale $38⁰⁰"
  • Line 7: "2 '[sale] 20⁰⁰"
  • Line 8: "3 '[sale] 21⁰⁰"
Page 15 - Bottom
  • Line 9: "State Fair Wis" [Wisconsin]"
  • Line 10: "at Madison from"
  • Line 11: "Sept. 10. to 15.-"
  • Line 12: "Chippewa Co Fair"
  • Line 13: "Sept. 11 to 14."
  • Line 14: "Rochester Minn" [Minnesota]
  • Line 15: "Fair Sept. 10 to 15-"
  • Line 16: "Preston Minnesota"
  • Line 17: "fair Sep 25. to 27."
  • Line 18: "Encampment at"
  • Line 19: "Ras?ons, Ros?ons, Pas?ons, Pos?ons, Passons or Rassons?"
  • Line 20: "to Aug 27, 1883."

In looking at the "deciphered copy" above you can see that there is only one issue in deciphering it. Line 19 appears to be the name of a town or county, but from which state or territory? It seems logical that it would be Minnesota as lines 14 through 17 deal with that state, but there is no town or county that looks similar. It looks sort of like "Ras?ons, Ros?ons, Pas?ons, Pos?ons, Passons or Rassons?" It does kind of look like "Roseau" [County] but the population in 1885 was only four settlers. The description of "Encampment at" [line 18] gives a clue. It could be a GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) "Encampment" or conclave, held every year. The one for 1883, the seventeenth, was held near Denver, but it was in June, not August. Smaller encampments occurred here and there, some recorded and probably some not. I could not find one event in 1883 that fit Soapy's dates of "Aug 21 to Aug 27, 1883." This was probably not a big public attended event for Soapy's games of no-chance so it's only a guess on whether he chose to attend and work it. It appears that the location will remain unknown--for now. Maybe you can help?



 









Part #24 (not published yet)








"Poker: the art of civilized bushwhacking."
—Nick Dandalos












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