The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1934-03-01

('Preacher Smith" they called hinr1,
the Methodist circuit rider. was
killed by party OF Sioux warriors
In 1876 because he placed his duty,
as he saw 1t, above personal safety.
A native of Connecticut, Preach
er Smith" served In the Union army
during the Civil war, then went
West, and arrived In Cheyenne,
Wyo., at the height of the Black
Hills gold rush. He held the first
church services ever held In the
Hills and became an outstanding
figure In It's early history as the
"Sky Pilot OF Deadwood," career
cut short by his death at the hands
Of the Indians while on his way
to preach In Crook City, ten miles
away. Another memorial to him
stands over his grave In Deadwood,
a life-sIze statue Of him carved from
the red stone characteristic Of that
region.
Up In Alaska among the rocky
cliffs overlooking Skagway Ia
unique memorial to another Smith.
1t Is rocky profile Of heroic size.
naturally shaped and painted white
to resemble skull and bearing
the words "Soapy Smiths Skull"
Thus does Skagway memorialize
Jefferson Randolph Smith, Its mayor
and boss In the roaring days of the
Klondike gold rush, and one OF the
most picturesquely villainous fig-
ures In frontier history. A native
Of Georgia, Smith was gambler In
various Colorado mining towns, a
ICON man. Of the first water (his
nickname Of "Soapy" coming from
one of his schemes Of fleeing the
suckers" with cakes OF soap
wrapped In $40 bllls), and later the
king of the Denver underworld.
When he went to Alaska he be-
came the big man of Skagway, but
his high-handed methods soon got
him into trouble. There was talk
of vigilante methods to rid the town
Of him, but Frank Reid, an en-
gineer, saved them the trouble.
Soapy" tried to blufr Reid, but
Reid couldn't be bluffed. A bullet
from his gun put an end to this
most famous bad man of the last
frontier.
Another Smith, but very different
from Soapys kind, lost his life In
the Wild days of the old frontier. He
was Thomas ]. Smith, known as
Green River Tom" Smith. a quiet,
mlld-spoken young man, but one of
the bravest who ever upheld the law
In the West. He first made a rep
utation for himself as marshal of
the town of Kit Carson, Colo, when
1t was lend Of steel" on the Kan
sas Pacific. Then he was called
to the roaring cattle town of Abb
lene, Kan, which he "tamedH--not
with six-shooters but with his fists.
In eleven months Smith set rec
ord In making II law-abiding place
which not even his successor, the
famous Wild Bill Hickok, could
match. But he met his death at
last-murdered by two ranchmen
whom he tried to arrest peaceably.
and failed only because cowardly
deputy sheriff iran out" ON him.
One other Smith is deserving of
mention before this article is con-
cluded. He was John T. Smith, IA
NOUS In the early days OF Missouri
as duelist and land Spectator, but
the thing which most distinguished
him was the way In which he lent
distinction to that name. He real.
lied that there are many John II.
Smiths, so In order to make his DIFF
ferent from the rest, he began sign
ing himself John Smith T. and John
Smith T. be was known to the day
OF his death.
AS to other Smiths who lent dis
tinction to the name-well. there
are several hundred OF them listed
In the encyclopedias Of biography
to which the reader of this article
II respectfully referred.
u by Western Newspaper Union