Discover Skagway Alaska: Soapy Smith , The Wild West & A Salmon Run

Описание: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-h...

In the wild, wild west, they say it was possible for a man to get ahead of his reputation as a con artist – at least long enough to make a fresh start and charm a new crowd.

One such legend in Skagway, Alaska, is Jefferson "Soapy" Smith – a Georgia native who headed west as a young man, then tired of the laborious work of a Texas cowboy, discovering he could bring in more cash with less effort by convincing gullible westerners to fall for his clever schemes.

As history.com puts it, one of his earliest swindles involved charging exorbitant fees to see an alleged prehistoric man in Creede Colorado, then wisely leaving town before the curious became suspicious. Traveling around the Southwest, Smith earned the nickname, "Soapy", by setting up shop in the street selling bars of soap wrapped in blue tissue paper.

He promised credulous crowds that a few lucky purchasers would find a $100 bill wrapped inside a few of the $5 bars of soap. Inevitably, one of the first to buy a bar would shout with pleasure and display a genuine $100 bill. Sales were generally brisk afterward – but of course, the lucky purchaser was a plant.

This kind of lifestyle continued through the late 1800's, as Smith joined the Alaskan Gold Rush, ending up in the frontier town of Skagway, where he and his partners fleeced thousands of gullible miners. But eventually, a small group of honest citizens came together in a meeting on the Skagway wharf, determined to protect the town from such a con artist.

When Soapy tried to interrupt the meeting, a gunfight ensued – and on July 8th, 1898, Soapy Smith was killed in Skagway, Alaska.

During our trip to Alaska last month, this story was my introduction to Skagway, while taking a narrated streetcar tour as soon as we arrived in port. At first glance, the historic town didn't have the same vibrant welcome as Juneau, but ironically enough – Skagway held a fascination that caused me to wander the streets with newfound interest and curiosity.

Beyond the surface of a beautiful blue-sky day surrounded by the mountains of southeast Alaska, there are layers upon layers of life that you and I will never fully know. Honest, hardworking explorers of the past – and nefarious creatures alike – all made their way across this rugged terrain in search of a new life. Some sought adventure, others fought to survive.

These pioneers of the west forged a way through the wilderness in a gold rush era town once called the Gateway to the Klondike. Like the salmon in nearby Pullen Creek, they endured hardship and pressed forward despite the odds. They battled the current, moving upstream in a world where the path of least resistance is most often the social norm.

I took it all in, absorbing the fleeting moments with a bit of awe and wonder. Even though Skagway didn't give me a great first impression for several reasons, it was one of those places that grew on me – and it's now the town I think I'd most like to return to in the future. For the first time in my life, I witnessed a salmon run on the outskirts of town – and it's something I won't soon forget. I'll admit, this might sound a bit dramatic, but it was a very touching experience.

It was sobering to watch the dedication and determination of each one fighting upstream, then to see the end of their journey beyond a wooden bridge, as small groups of dead fish floated in an open pond after spawning.

"It's sad, isn't it?" I said to a woman standing nearby, as we both snapped photos and quietly absorbed the scene.

"Yeah, it is," she replied. "But if you think about it, we would give our lives for our children too."

I nodded, and carried her words with me back to the ship.

Life is hard. But no matter what obstacles we face, a life truly worth living is one that is always focused on giving.

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