“BUTTERFIELD’S OVERLAND DISPATCH.
“To all points in Colorado, Utah, Idaho and Montana Territory.
Principal office, Atchison, Kansas. New York Office No. 1 Vesey St. Astor House.
“Through bills of lading given from New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chicago, St. Louis, and Burlington, Iowa.
“D. A. Butterfield, Proprietor, Atchison, Kansas.
“A. W. Spalding, General Agent, New York.”
Butterfield’s consuming desire was to control the big end of the transportation business across the plains. He maintained an expensive office in New York City and called his line “The Butterfield Overland Dispatch.” Conspicuous signs were displayed over the doors of his office in the Astor House, showing caravans of great covered wagons drawn by mules and oxen, which signs attracted the attention of all. During his promotion of this new stage line Butterfield lived in great style and elegance in Atchison, in a house, the remains of which still stand (1915) at the southwest corner of Fifth and S streets. He entertained lavishly, and “champagne flowed like water” at his home when he gave a party.
The direct route out of Atchison to Denver, chosen by Butterfield, was in a southwesterly direction to Valley Falls, thence across the plains to a point on the old Fort Riley military road a few miles northeast of Topeka. The Butterfield line was first operated with mules and oxen, but as the road grew more prosperous, four horse stages were substituted. “Dave” Butterfield, as he was known, was determined to make Ben Holladay a pigmy in the overland stage business. Although it was known to many that there was more wind behind his enterprise than real money, yet in spite of the fact that his efforts in the staging world were more or less looked upon as a promotion scheme, he interested considerable capital, including the United States, American and the Adams Express companies. He was a great believer in publicity and spent large sums in newspaper advertising, but it required much money to properly equip and operate a stage line, and Butterfield did not have enough. In consequence of his lack of capital, his original company failed, but was subsequently reorganized in June, 1865. Butterfield, undaunted, went east again and raised more money, and before his return, he capitalized a new company with $3,000,000.00, with one-half paid in. Branch offices were opened in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Chicago, Atchison, Leavenworth, Denver and Salt Lake City. John A. Kinney, a pioneer business man of Atchison, who had been connected with Butterfield from the beginning, continued in charge of the Atchison office under the reorganization, with a salary of $2,500 per year. Shortly after the new company was organized, Butterfield inserted another advertisement in the Free Press, as follows:
“BUTTERFIELD’S OVERLAND DISPATCH.
“To all points in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Idaho, Montana and the state of Nevada.