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?

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 #8
Part #9 
Part #10
Part #11
Part #12
Part #13
Part #14 
Part #16 

Part #17 
Part #18
Part #19

Part #20
Part #21
Part #22-23

Part #24 (not published yet)

"Poker: the art of civilized bushwhacking."

—Nick Dandalos

Was Soapy Smith in Rochester, Minnesota in 1883?

"He invested his $14 and got
two five cent cakes of soap.”
Daily Globe
St. Paul, Minnesota
July 13, 1883

(Click image to enlarge)

 

id Soapy Smith operate in Rochester, Minnesota in 1883?

 

 

 

 

Does the newspaper clipping posted at the top, refer to confidence-man Soapy Smith?

“A man came into town to spend the Fourth. He brought $14, with which he promised to buy his wife a lounge. He saw a man putting a $20 gold piece inside the wrapper around a cake of soap, and selling them for $10. He invested his $14 and got two five cent cakes of soap.” (Daily Globe, St. Paul, Minnesota)

My father told me that in the early part of Soapy's career that he used coins, later changing over to paper currency.

It is known that Soapy operated in the surrounding states in 1883, and positively known that he operated in Minnesota in 1892, but there is no solid provenance that this is our Soapy.

Rochester, Minnesota
August 1883
One month after the soap swindler was there
Courtesy of Minnesota Digital Library

(Click image to enlarge)

"No wife can endure a gambling husband, unless he is a steady winner."

—Thomas Robert Dewar

Soapy Smith a Republican Party alternate delegate, June 1892

"The soap fakir"
Saint Paul Daily Globe
June 3, 1892

(Click image to enlarge)

 

oapy" Smith, the soap fakir, is in the city"

Just short of two months after leaving Creede, Colorado, Soapy Smith ended up in Saint Paul Minnesota. The Saint Paul Daily Globe of Saint Paul, Minnesota announces that bunco artist Soapy Smith is in the city.

"Soapy" Smith, the soap fakir, is in the city, though it is hard to tell what he will do, unless he falls foul of the gas pipe system.①

Why did he go there? Was there a large fair or exposition? Was he working the streets swindling unwary citizens, or was he possibly there to attend the Republican National Convention? It wouldn't be the first time he was considered an important ally of the Republican Party, and it wouldn't be the last.
      In April 1892 at the local Republican meeting in Denver, Soapy was elected alternate delegate from the fourth district, prescient five.② It is very probable that Soapy was in Saint Paul as an official from Colorado. Soapy's wish to jump into high level politics clashed with his criminal history when on June 3, 1892 the Saint Paul Daily Globe published an article entitled, "The Swells are in," describing that "a batch of real high-toned have come to town." About two dozen, according to the newspaper. Some of those noted are as follows.

From Chicago

• Minnie Daly, "the handsomest and best dressed confidence woman in the country."
• Clabby Burns, husband of Minnie Daly.
• Nora Keating
• Minnie May
• O'brien,  "the well-known 'shell' man," also known as "Single O."

From St. Louis

• Harry Hanly
• Chris Moore
• Wallace Healy

And of course, "'Soapy' Smith, the soap fakir."
     According to the newspaper, "Maj. Norton, the long, white-haired politician from Texas," barely escaped being a victim of one of the Cincinnati bunco men. The politician would have got stung had it not been for a local police detective recognizing the crook.③   
      "The convention was not scheduled to begin until June 7, 1892, but attendees began arriving in Minneapolis as early as June 1. The local papers buzzed about their presence." Soapy arrived on or before June 3rd and there is no information on what he did there. It is estimated that 10,000 people were in Saint Paul for the convention. Seems hard to fathom that Soapy would not make a little money while there, even if in an official capacity. "President Harrison did not attend, nor did his main Republican rival, James G. Blaine. However, many top politicians of the time were in Minneapolis, including Chauncey Depew, James S. Clarkson, Joseph Foraker, and future Republican president William McKinley. Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony were in town, too, not to attend the convention but to draw attention to their causes."④

Interior of the Exposition Hall
Republican National Convention
Saint Paul, Minneapolis
Courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society

(Click image to enlarge)

      How long did Soapy stay in Saint Paul? Three days after the newspaper reported him as being in the city, he was interviewed by a reporter from the Denver Rocky Mountain News regarding the huge fire in Creede, Colorado of June 5, 1892.⑤ It is very possible that the reporter was in Saint Paul to report on the Republican Convention. It is also possible that Soapy left Saint Paul and was back in Denver for his interview. Did he leave Saint Paul because he the primary delegate was present at the convention, and as the alternate delegate Soapy was no longer needed, or did the town become too hot for him to work it?

SOURCES

① Minnpost, June 10, 2014
② Rocky Mountain News, April 24, 1892
③ Minnpost, June 10, 2014
④ Minnpost, June 10, 2014
⑤ Rocky Mountain News, April 24, 1892

Minnpost: When Minneapolis hosted the Republican National Convention.

Soapy as alternate delegate for the Republican National Convention: page 247.

"He had the calm confidence of a Christian with four aces."

— Mark Twain

JUNE 3

1539: Hernando De Soto claims Florida for Spain.

1621: The Dutch West India Company receives a charter for New Netherlands (now known as New York).

1784: Congress formally creates the U.S. Army to replace the disbanded Continental Army. On June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress had created the Continental Army for purposes of common defense and this event is considered to be the birth of the United States Army.

1800: John Adams moves to Washington D.C., being the first president to live in the capitol.

1805: A peace treaty between the U.S. and Tripoli is signed in the captain's cabin on board the USS Constitution.

1851: The New York Knickerbockers are the first baseball team to don uniforms.

1856: Cullen Whipple patents the screw machine.

1871: The Ocobock Bank in Corydon, Iowa is robbed of gold and bills by the James-Younger Gang. It is estimated that the robbers got away with $40,000.

1873: A drunken soldier in a Delano, Kansas dancehall shoots Emma Stanley, a dancer, in the leg. Edward “Red Beard” Beard, the proprietor, rushes a group of soldiers, firing a pistol hitting one soldier in the throat and another in the leg. Two nights’ later some 30 soldiers invade Beard's place shooting and wounding gambler Charles Leshhart and another dance hall maiden. The soldiers then burn the dance hall to the ground.

1874: Bessie and Sallie Earp are arrested for opening a house of ill repute in Wichita, Kansas.

1887: William Moore locates the White Pass Trail near the future town of Skagway Alaska. Soapy Smith makes it his home and final empire of conquest in 1897.

1888: The poem, Casey at the Bat by Ernest Thayer is published.

1892: The Saint Paul Daily Globe of Saint Paul Minnesota announces that bunco artist Soapy Smith is working the streets swindling unwary citizens.

1895: Sheriff James Musgrove, of the Cooweescoowee District of the Cherokee Nation is shot and killed by "Frog" Davis, in Catoosa, Oklahoma. Musgrove and Deputy J. Flippin approach Davis’ house to arrest him, but Davis knows they are there, and is hiding in an outhouse. He shoots hitting Musgrove in the abdomen and escapes. Musgrove dies of his wound. The following week Davis is arrested near Tulsa, Oklahoma where he is tried and convicted for the murder.

1895: Two brothers, Bob and Bill Christian, and Jim Casey, escape from the Oklahoma County Jail in Oklahoma City. The brothers were being held for the murder of Pottawatomie County Deputy Sheriff Will Turner. Casey was being held for the murder of Canadian County Deputy sheriff Sam Farris. Chief of Police John Milton Jones and Officer G. Jackson confront the escapees at Grand and Broadway. A gunfight ensues during which Chief Jones and Jim Casey are killed. The Christian brothers escaped.

1898: James Parker is the last man hanged in the Courthouse Plaza in Prescott, Arizona. The train robber was in the in the Yavapai County jail when he shot and killed assistant District Attorney Erasmus Norris during an escape attempt.

1898: The San Francisco Call publishes a story in which volunteers of Soapy Smith’s private militia, the Skaguay Military Company, are robbed during a fake doctor exam.