16. Skagway was an ideal location for heading to and from the gold fields
People on their way to seek their fortune in the gold fields, or returning from them with gold, found Skagway an excellent stopping point. Those heading to the fields had cash with them, to equip themselves for their prospecting. Those returning often had riches with them, and Skagway was where they could catch a steamer to return to civilization. For Soapy, the idea of that much money passing through without him getting his hands on some of it was unbearable. One of his earliest scams in the new territory was to free a prisoner who was in danger of being lynched. Smith and his men held the prisoner until legally constituted authority arrived.
When it did the prisoner was turned over, legally tried, and subjected to a small fine, rather than losing his life to a bunch of vigilantes. Soapy’s actions put him in a position to assume the role of enforcing the law in the camp, and he took advantage of it. Soapy then established a telegraph office in Skagway. The telegraph had not actually reached the area at the time (and wouldn’t until 1901) but Soapy banked on the people passing through not being aware of that detail. The inside of the office looked like most small telegraph offices, with a sender taking messages and fees from the customers.
