November 7, 2021

Color version of Web of Arachne located in Turkey.


Web of Arachne
Oil painting from Turkey
by "V. Lenp___???"

(Click image to enlarge)



 
OPY OF WEB OF ARACHNE?

 
 
 
 
 
A gentleman from Ankara, Turkey contacted me wishing to sell me an oil painting of the Web of Arachne (by Fernand Le Quesne) that he purchased at auction.

Web of Arachne
Oil painting from Turkey
Close-up

(Click image to enlarge)


There are slight differences between the black and white and color versions. Besides different artists, I caught the difference when I placed the photos side-by-side (see attached photo). The names of the artists are different, but the most tell-tale difference is the center of the large web on the far right of the paintings. Looking closer at details, such as the foreground details, like the grass and plants shows a lack of detail seen in the original. I am guessing that the artist may have been a student artist, or possibly an artist painting and selling works as their own. Could this copy possibly be evidence that the original was in color?


Web of Arachne
Original by Fernand Le Quesne
Colorized

(Click image to enlarge)

The print that Soapy purchased hung in Jeff Smith's Parlor so we know that without any question that Fernand Le Quesne painted The Web of Arachne at some point previous to 1898. Ads for the print and others like it, are reported to have sold at the Columbian Exposition in 1893, so it's likely that Le Quesne painted it at some point before the opening of the fair. Guessing that he started painting by age 20, it is conjecture that the The Web of Arachne was painted sometime between 1876-1892. But when did artist "V. Lenp???" paint it?



(Click image to enlarge)



Web of Arachne
Oil painting from Turkey
Rear of frame

(Click image to enlarge)

The story of how I "discovered" Soapy Smith's connection to the Web of Arachne is very interesting. Go down to the links below "Web of Arachne" and you can read about it.
 







"The better the gambler, the worse the man."
—Publius Syrus











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November 3, 2021

Soapy Smith rescues his future wife, Mary Noonan from an attacker, 1885.

A NEGRO'S NERVE.
Rocky Mountain News
November 4, 1885
Courtesy of NewsBank

(Click image to enlarge)





 

 ary swoons over her rescuing knight. 

In telling of the incident that occurred the first time she met Jefferson Randolph Smith II to her children and grandchildren, Mary Eva Noonan said that she "swooned over her rescuing knight." One fact that she chose to omit from her reciting the story of how Soapy" Smith, her future husband, rescued her honor, was that the attacker was a black man. Not that it matters, except to the accuracy of the history.

As Mary told it, she had finished her singing performance at the Palace Theater in Denver, Colorado, when she was approached by Jefferson Randolph Smith II, notoriously known as "Soapy." In her rehashing of the story she did not mention exactly where the incident took place and future books on Soapy assumed that the scene took place at the Palace Theater. The newspaper article states that the attack took place at John Kinneavy's saloon, a friend of Soapy's, located on the corner of Sixteenth and Holladay (later named Market) Streets, about two blocks from the Palace Theater.

Though the photo-copy of the newspaper article is not very good, I am able to share the entire article as I have a better copy in my files that I obtained in the 1980s-90s while researching through the Rocky Mountain News on microfilm, for the book, Alias Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel. Below is the full text of the article.


A NEGRO'S NERVE.
―
He Tackles a White Woman and Gets the Worst of It.

     About 10 o'clock last night T. Smith, a gambler, was sitting in a back room attachment to John Kinneavy's saloon, corner of Sixteenth and Holladay streets, with a lady friend, a colored man entered and without saying a word seized Smith's companion about the neck and kissed her, Smith naturally took umbrage at this and drawing a revolver struck the Negro over the head with it, inflicting a slight cut in the forehead. As the pistol, which was loaded, struck the negro's head, one barrel went off and the neighborhood was aroused. Smith skipped out, as did also the negro, who's name proved proved to be Arthur Jackson. Captain captain Swain was at once at on the scene and caught Jackson as he was running across the street and took him to the city jail. Arrived here he washed the blood from his face and it was found that he was only slightly hurt. Smith subsequently gave himself up and he is in being retained at police headquarters.
     Colored men who know the man Jackson give him anything but a good name, saying that he has a weakness for attacking white women in the same manner as he last evening assaulted the woman who was with Soapy Smith.
     The report of Smith's pistol caused a good deal of excitement for a few moments, but it soon died down when it was learned that no one was hurt.
―

The newspaper defends Soapy's actions as he is innocently conversing and flirting with Mary when Arthur Jackson assaulted her. In Mary's telling, when Soapy crashed his gun down upon the attackers head, his revolver went off at the same time, and so much blood gushed from the man's head, that Soapy believed he had shot Jackson. Thinking he had killed Jackson, Soapy fled the saloon. The attacker recovered from his wounds, and Soapy was fined $5 for "disturbance" (Rocky Mountain News, November 6, 1885).


Mary Eva Noonan
colorized
wedding photograph
February 1886
Jeff Smith collection








 

 









Arthur Jackson attacks Mary Noonan: pages 104-105.





"A number of moralists condemn lotteries and refuse to see anything noble in the passion of the ordinary gambler. They judge gambling as some atheists judge religion, by its excesses."
—Charles Lamb, Essays of Elia, 1832










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October 28, 2021

Artifact #88: Soapy Smith's son speaks with Annie L. Williams about a manuscript on his father.

Artifact #88
Letter
June 20, 1944
Jeff Smith collection

(Click image to enlarge)



 
 
 
few days ago you called me and told me you had a manuscript based on the life of Jeffrey Smith"

     Artifact #88 is a typed response letter from the famed New York drama and motion picture agent, Annie Laurie Williams to Soapy Smith's son, Jefferson Randolph Smith III.

     Annie Laurie Williams, the agent who sold Margaret Mitchell's “Gone With the Wind” to David O. Selznick for the film, Opened her career and firm in 1929, representing some of the most important American authors, including Margaret Mitchell, Harper Lee, John Steinbeck, and Lloyd C. Douglas.
     Jefferson Smith apparently had written a manuscript and offered to send it to Williams' agency. Unfortunately, I do not know the location of that manuscript. Likely, it is still in family hands somewhere. The letter is addressed to Jeffery Smith, 136-31- 58th Avenue, Flushing, L. I., (Long Island, New York). In 1942, two years before this letter, records show that Jeff still lived in Missouri. The next address is a Los Angeles, California one, in 1952. Jeff kept outsiders in the dark in regards to his father. He held "behind-the-scene" political and newspaper positions that he feared would be jeopardized if certain people were to find out who his father was. In 1946 Jeff's daughter, Joy Roberta Smith, got married in New York. It is possible that Joy lived in New York in 1944 and that Jeff used her address as a mailing location, in order to keep his life as the son of a famous bad man on the quiet, if the manuscript deal went sour. Also take note that Annie Williams mentions Jeff as going "back to Texas." Jeff may have listed his residence as "Texas." As part of this attempt to hide his identity Jefferson used the names "Jeffrey" to identify both himself and his father, while hiding his and his father's real identities.     

Below is the text of the letter.
 
June 20, 1944
 
A few days ago you called me and told me you had a manuscript based on the life of Jeffrey Smith and if I were interested you would let me read it. I am interested and hope you can come in and bring the manuscript and talk to me before you go back to Texas. If I don't happen to be in my sister Pamela Barnes will talk to you and you can leave the manuscript with her.
 
Sincerely yours,
Annie Laurie Williams (signature and typed)
 
 
Annie Laurie Williams

 (Click image to enlarge)








 









Jefferson Randolph Smith III
 











Jefferson Randolph Smith III: pages 7, 107-08, 167, 417-18, 546, 584, 587-89.






"One of the healthiest ways to gamble is with a spade and a package of garden seeds."
—Dan Bennett








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October 26, 2021

Artifact #87 Soapy Smith's sister, Emmie Lu Gardner writes to her nephew Jefferson.

Artifact #87
Letter side A
Jeff Smith collection

(Click image to enlarge)





 
 
 
t is quite interesting to know you are living in a haunted house."
 
Artifact #87 is a response letter from aunt Emmie Lu Gardner, (Soapy Smith's sister), age 45 to Jefferson Randolph Smith III, (Soapy's son), age 25. It's a typical "keeping up with the family" type letter. Below is the transcribed text. 

Waco Texas
Dec 11th. 1912

Dear Jeff:
 
     Your most welcome letter was received a few days ago was very glad to hear from you. It is quite interesting to know you are living in a haunted house, and yet there's lots of people who firmly believe in ghosts. I received a long letter from cousin Nellie Kate Smith of Newnan Ga they are all well. The weather is very bad has been raining for about 4 weeks and still raining. I hope it will clear up. Received a card from Temple They are all well. I hope you will be able to secure a good position your chances seem very favorable at present. I am glad to know that you all well and enjoying yourselves. With love and best wishes to all. your Loving Aunt.

Emmie Lu Gardner
927 Franklin St.

     This is the only mention that the Smith home in 1912 was haunted. Being an adamant historian I am not really one who trusts most ghost stories, but if any household could be haunted, I would guess that the family of Soapy Smith would be one of them.
       Nellie Kate Smith (1868-1950) of Newnan, Georgia was the daughter of Ira Ellis Caspar Wistar Smith and Caqtherine Romanze "Kate" Edmundson. Newnan (Coweta County) is where Soapy Smith was born and raised until 1876-77.
     Temple, Texas is where Soapy's surviving family members lived, his father, Jefferson Randolph Smith II having died there in 1902.
 

Artifact #87
Letter side B
Jeff Smith collection

(Click image to enlarge)

The envelope below is addressed to "Mr. Jeff Smith, St. Louis, Mo." At the lower left is "C" (care of) "St. Louis Times, Editorial Department." Jeff worked as a newspaper editor for much of his adult life.
 
Artifact #87
Envelope
Jeff Smith collection

(Click image to enlarge)




Emmie Lu Gardner
1867-1913


Jefferson R. Smith III
age 25

(Click image to enlarge)
 
 
Nellie Kate Smith
1868-1950

 (Click image to enlarge)











Jefferson Randolph Smith III: pages 7, 107-08, 167, 417-18, 546, 584, 587-89.





"I bet on a horse at ten-to-one. It didn't come in until half-past five."
—Henny Youngman












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September 17, 2021

Artifact #86: Soapy Smith's son contacts the Sourdough Reunion, 1951

First response from the Sourdough Association
to Jefferson R. Smith from Clara Johnson
Jeff Smith collection

(Click image to enlarge)




  
 
 
lease try to attend and thus forward the spirit of the Sourdough."
 
Soapy Smith's son contacts the Sourdough Reunion, 1951


     Seventy years ago, at some date previous to February 15, 1951, Soapy Smith's son, sixty-five year old Jefferson Randolph Smith III wrote to someone about the upcoming Twentieth Annual Convention of the International Sourdough Reunion to be held in San Francisco on August 16-19, 1951. Jefferson was living at 2341 Portland Street in Los Angeles. Since 1951 the house was torn down and an apartment building erected. 
     A "Chilcoot Tram" Hawks forwarded Jeff's letter to Alaska Weekly reporter Lulu Fairbanks. Lulu forwarded the letter to Clara Johnson, secretary of the Sourdough-Oakland Sourdough Association in Oakland, California who typed a response to Jefferson on February 15, 1951.

Envelope to first response letter
to Jefferson R. Smith from Clara Johnson
Postmarked February 17, 1951
no legible markings on the rear of the envelope
Jeff Smith collection

(Click image to enlarge)

Oakland, California
February 15, 1951
 
Jeff R. Smith
2341 Portland Street
Los Angeles 7
California
 
Dear Mr. Smith:
 
     News of your interest in the Sourdough Convention to be held in San Francisco, August 16-19 has reached me through Lulu Fairbanks, ALASKA WEEKLY reporter, who received it from "Chilcoot Tram" Hawks.
 
     At the present time, our plans are only in the making, but as soon as printed information is available we will send it on to you.
 
     Please try to attend and thus forward the spirit of the Sourdough.
 
Very sincerely
Clara Johnson - secy.
San Francisco - Oakland
Sourdough Association
 
     Since a very young age Jefferson had written to many people who knew his father, seeking to learn as much as he could, considering he was only nine years old when his father was shot and killed in Skagway, Alaska, July 8, 1898. Over the decades he had the pleasure of meeting people who had personally known his father so it is likely he wished to attend the Sourdough convention in hopes of meeting more individuals who knew, or had met his father. I can't help but wonder if he considered that he might run into some victims of his father's gambling games and swindles.
 
Second response letter - official invite
To Jefferson R. Smith, from C. O. Sivertsen
Jeff Smith collection

(Click image to enlarge)
 
     Five months later, on July 17, 1951, an official printed "cordial invitation" brochure from the Alaska-Yukon Sourdough Association located in San Francisco was sent out to Jefferson. Chairman C. O. Sivertsen wrote the invitation, including the following statement of inevitability.
 
     We SOURDOUGHS are decreasing each year, so we would like to have you all make and extra effort to MUSH ON to SAN FRANCISCO and meet those OLD FRIENDS of YEARS AGO, who are dear to all of us, and bring back fond memories of the happy days spent in the Far North. 

     On the inside and rear of the brochure are drawings and photographs of San Francisco sites attendees may wish to visit.
     Unfortunately, I was unable to find out if Jefferson attended the reunion convention. I tried locating records of attendees but had no success.
 
Envelope to second response letter - official invite
Postmarked July 17, 1951
no legible markings on the rear of the envelope
Jeff Smith collection

(Click image to enlarge)
 
 
Inside portion of brochure
drawings of San Francisco sites
Jeff Smith collection

(Click image to enlarge)
 
 
Rear and front portion of brochure
Photographs of San Francisco
Jeff Smith collection

(Click image to enlarge)
 







 









Jefferson Randolph Smith III
 










Jefferson Randolph Smith III: pages 7, 107-08, 167, 417-18, 546, 584, 587-89.





"No dog can go as fast as the money you bet on him."
—Bud Flanagan








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September 1, 2021

Frank Reid's Casket Guards - Reversed Image

Frank Reid casket guards
as shown in Klondike '98
By Ethel A. Becker
Ethel Anderson Becker collection
Location currently unknown

(Click image to enlarge)





 
 
 
rank Reid's Casket Guards
Reversed Image
 
 
 
 
I received the following fascinating email

     Greetings Jeff Smith: (re: Sept. 18, 2009 – Speaking frank about frank pt. 2 – Soapy Smith’s Soap Box blog).
     Having cruised to Alaska, I got interested in reading your blog about the wild times that took place in good old Skagway. It is and likely always will be an interesting historical location along the west coast.
     As to the blogs concerning Frank Reid and his demise.... I was looking at the photograph of Mr. Reid’s casket/the 2-man honor guard, and was wondering if the photograph was developed/printed in reverse?? That happened a fair bit where negatives were concerned as you likely know. I enlarged a copy of the photo image in order to read the text that’s written on the flag, and it was then that I noticed the lettering was lop-sided.
     Do you have the original photograph or was it obtained via another source? I’m also wondering what the wording on the flag would be – I can make out the word MILITIA – but do you know what the rest of the wording is? Is there a photograph in existence of the actual flag that was used to drape Reid’s casket (i.e. unfolded, flattened out with text readable)?? As to the two chaps forming the honor guard – were they friends or perhaps members of a fraternal organization or Militia unit... (i.e. was Mr. Reid in the Militia as well)?. Not sure if that detail was recorded somewhere – perhaps in the newspaper write-up that dealt with Reid’s passing and eventual burial. Is there a possibility that the flag was one that hung in the church where his funeral was held..... and – would it still be there?
     It would also be interesting to know who provided the casket. I don’t have access to historical booklet, directories, etc. from that time period – and thus I have no idea if there was a funeral home/casket shop in Skagway at the time, or did such items have to be imported? It’s definitely not one that was made out of hand-hewn cedar slabs or similar type of wood. The handles would definitely have been imported from elsewhere.
     That’s it for the moment. Hope you can find the time to send back a reply.... Interesting website to say the least. A true wild west narrative that continues!!

Cheers.
Ken R. Johnson
Retired former Museum Curator/Archivist – Canada

Frank Reid casket guards
Reversed image (correct)
Ethel Anderson Becker collection
Location currently unknown

(Click image to enlarge)

It seems this photograph has not been published since appearing in Ethel Anderson Becker's book Klondike '98. This very well may the first time it's been published correctly.

Following is my response to Ken R. Johnson.

Hi, Ken
      Thank you very much for writing! Good eye on that photograph! It is indeed reversed. I enjoyed reading your email. The photograph came from the book Klondike 98 by Ethel Anderson Becker, 1972. She collected the photos of Photographer Eric A. Hegg. The photograph you speak of is on page 37. She obviously did not catch on that the photo was in reverse, nor did I. She does not list an archive for the photograph so I believe it was in her personal collection. I did a quick online search and up to 2016 her photo collection appears to be missing or buried somewhere in an archive somewhere.
     Ethel Anderson Becker papers, 1936-1967, University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections. ("Incoming letters from Eric A. Hegg photos, her book 'Klondike 98,' clippings, essay written as student; woodcarving of 'Dawson-Yukon' miner by Hallie C. Heacock, 1965; unidentified book of photo reproductions of Klondike mining scenes (title page missing), undated." [source: Archives West]
     Great questions, but I know very little of the photograph or the outcome of the flag. I do not know where "militia" came from, unless the vigilantes decided to call themselves a "militia," to get away from the negative aura of being a "vigilante committee." Offhand, I do not recall the term "militia" being used in the newspapers, but I would not be surprised that I saw it in newspaper accounts and dismissed it. I did check the Skagway newspapers that are online and the only "militia" I found was in regards to Soapy's Skagway Military Company previous to the shootout and Reid's death.
     In regards to the casket, there were skilled builders in Skagway at the time. There was a hospital, and morticians, so I would guess that there were casket makers.
     I plan to write up a blog post on the photograph as it is an interesting find. I would like to use your name and the email you sent, without posting your email address. I will respect your wishes, just let me know. There is always the possibility that someone will have the answers to your questions!
     I invite you to sign up for notifications of new articles on the blog. Just go to the link and add your email in the box on the right-hand column

Frank Reid casket guards
Colorized
Ethel Anderson Becker collection
Location currently unknown
 
(Click image to enlarge)



Jul 7, 2021











Frank H. Reid: pages 10, 439-41, 447, 477, 529-42, 544, 547-53, 555, 574, 576-77, 579, 585.





"You know horses are smarter than people. You never heard of a horse going broke betting on people."
—Will Rogers










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