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By the spring of 1851 there were a dozen busy stagelines in operation covering the dusty roads of California. On New Year's Day, 1854, these lines merged and formed the California Stage Company worth over 1 million dollars. Men grew famous, such as Ben Holladay, Chorpenning, Crandall and most noted Butterfield, who was very close to the Buchanan administration and was given mail contracts. Just 26 days after the Pony Express was started, April 29, 1860, it carried new that Butterfield had sold out to Wells Fargo & Co. It was an expensive matter to import Concords from New Hampshire, but it was the Concord that helped make the west. Small boys and big men looked up to the driver who had pride in his profession and had one thing in mind, get his passengers, anywhere they wanted to go, get them there on time, and get them there safe. . . M.P. |
