Besides operating the Overland Stage for over five years, Holladay had other important interests in the West. Among his enterprises was a fleet of passenger steamers, plying between San Francisco and Portland, Ore. At the height of his career he was a millionaire, and few men in the country accumulated wealth more rapidly. He spent his money freely, and squandered vast sums when he was making it. After he had accumulated a fortune, he went to New York to live, and built a most pretentious residence a few miles out of New York, on the Hudson river, which he called Ophir Farm. After he was awarded some good mail contracts by the Government, he built a mansion in Washington, which he furnished superbly, and collected a large classical library, with handsomely bound volumes, and also was a patron of art, collecting fine oil paintings of celebrated masters in Europe and America. He also made a collection of fine bronzes and statuary, and paid $6,000.00 each for two bronze lions. It was in 1860 that he came into possession of the Central Overland California Mail Line, but subsequent trouble with the Indians damaged his property to the extent of a half million dollars. His stage stations were burned, and his stock stolen, and stage coaches destroyed. Finally, in 1888, being broken in health and in debt, his Washington home, with its contents, was sold under the hammer. He came into possession of practically all the big overland routes by purchase and foreclosure of mortgages, and he made his vast fortune in mail contracts from the Government. He remained at the head of the overland line for about five years, taking possession of it in December, 1861, and disposing of it, including the stations, rolling stock and animals, in the latter part of 1866, to Wells Fargo & Company. Mr. Holladay died in August, 1877, in Portland, Ore., a poor man. BUTTERFIELD’S OVERLAND DISPATCH. One of the interesting promoters in overland staging days was D. A. Butterfield. He came to Atchison from Denver in 1864, and engaged in the commission business in a large stone warehouse near the Massasoit House, and, in addition to his commission business, he was agent for a line of packets plying between St. Louis and Atchison. Shortly after his arrival in Atchison he began the development of an overland stage line, which subsequently reached very large proportions. His ambition was to be at the head of an overland stage line, and, having selected what was known as the Smoky Hill route along the Kansas and Smoky Hill rivers, which was fifty miles shorter than any other route to Denver, he proceeded with the further development of his plans. He was a smart, capable, ambitious and aggressive fellow, with vim, and was in touch with a number of men of large means in New York, whom he soon interested in his enterprise. Early in 1865 the following advertisement appeared in the _Atchison Daily Free Press_, announcing Mr. Butterfield’s project: