Jeff "Soapy" Smith's Parlor
I took this picture because it intrigued me, but I didn't know why I was taking it! As it turns out ... 10.8.05 OK, I've done my research (a job Sue says I'm good at -- TU, Sue) and found out among other things, Jefferson Randolph (Soapy) Smith was famous for his con game from the 1870's until at least 1896, selling $1.00 bars of soap ($1.00 might not seem like a lot of money, but one dollar in 1885 is the equivalent of a twenty dollar bill today!), some of which were supposedly wrapped in $5.00 or $50.00 bills, but it seemed only his friends ever won a big bill. Another famous racket of Soapy's was his "telegraph office", where he charged $5.00 to send a telegram or to receive one. Somehow Soapy's business boomed, even though Skagway had no telegraph lines at the time! Soapy's last words were "My God, don't shoot!". Ironically, Skagway commemorates the famous con man on July 8 each year, complete with champagne provided by Soapy's descendants (who still dispute his notorious reputation). His great-grandson maintains his own site on the web, www.soapysmith.net, that I found fascinating reading. Maybe I'm the reincarnation of one of the "wicked doves"?!