▁biggest ▁d ile m ma ▁was ▁which ▁he ir ▁to ▁leave ▁his ▁wealth . ▁ ▁E str anged ▁from ▁his ▁son , ▁Major ▁Butler ▁left ▁his ▁estate ▁to ▁his ▁two ▁grands ons , ▁Pier ce ▁Me ase ▁Butler ▁and ▁John ▁A . ▁Me ase ▁Butler . ▁ ▁Pier ce ▁Me ase ▁Butler ▁was ▁de void ▁of ▁business ▁sense ▁and ▁his ▁grand father ▁would ▁not ▁have ▁approved ▁of ▁his ▁personal ▁hab its . ▁He ▁frequently ▁engaged ▁in ▁ris ky ▁business ▁spec ulations , ▁which ▁resulted ▁in ▁financial ▁loss ▁in ▁the ▁Cr ash ▁of ▁ 1 8 5 7 , ▁and ▁his ▁elaborate ▁sp ending . ▁ ▁However , ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁his ▁incor rig ible ▁g amb ling ▁that ▁land ed ▁him ▁in ▁the ▁most ▁trouble . ▁Butler ▁had ▁acc ru ed ▁a ▁considerable ▁amount ▁of ▁g amb ling ▁deb t ▁over ▁the ▁years . ▁To ▁satisfy ▁his ▁financial ▁oblig ations , ▁the ▁management ▁of ▁Butler ' s ▁estate ▁was ▁transferred ▁to ▁trust ees . ▁At ▁first , ▁the ▁trust ees ▁sold ▁Butler ' s ▁Philadelphia ▁m ansion ▁for ▁$ 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁other ▁properties ▁but ▁this ▁was ▁not ▁enough ▁to ▁satisfy ▁credit ors . ▁The ▁only ▁comm od ities ▁of ▁value ▁that ▁remained ▁were ▁the ▁slaves ▁he ▁owned ▁on ▁his ▁Georgia ▁plant ations . ▁ ▁The ▁sale ▁ ▁Sav ann ah ▁was ▁the ▁perfect ▁location ▁for ▁the ▁au ction ▁due ▁to ▁its ▁proxim ity ▁to ▁the ▁Butler ▁estate , ▁and ▁due ▁to ▁it ▁being ▁a ▁large ▁center