re I met my
brother managers in the Irish railway world, and learned something of the
other lines. The leading men at the Conference were Ilbery, Great
Southern and Western; Cotton, Belfast and Northern Counties; Plews and
Shaw, Great Northern; Ward, Midland Great Western; and Skipworth, Manager
in Ireland of the London and North-Western. Of all the managers who
assembled there I was the youngest, and the greatest personality was
Edward John Cotton. By common consent, he had acted as Chairman of the
Conference from the year 1864. No one had ever dreamed of assuming the
position when he was present. This continued till 1890, when Tom
Robertson came on the scene. _He_ was all for change and innovation, and
managed to get the principle of formal election to the chairmanship
established. Many of us thought it was a pity to make the change in
Cotton's time, but Edward John seemed the least concerned of us all, for
nothing ever disturbed his good humour. Robertson was a veritable
Hotspur and upset for a time the serenity of our meetings. He was
overcharged with energy, and a bachelor.

It is my belief that had our genial Cotton chosen the stage for a
profession he would have found a place among the distinguished actors of
his time, if not in tragedy, certainly in comedy. His face, voice,
manner and style all proclaimed it. You had only to hear him read in
public, which he loved to do, see how natural his dramatic action was,
and feel the effect of a mere wave of his hand through his abundant hair,
to be convinced of this. In railway circles throughout England, Scotland
and Ireland he was widely known. He attended all railway conferences for
he loved movement and travel. Shrewd and well-informed, his knowledge
was acquired not from books or study but from close observation of
passing events and free and friendly intercourse with all whom he met.
His railway was very popular and he and it were held in high esteem.
Easily accessible to all, courteous and reasonable ever, he was in many
respects a model railway manager. His success lay not so much in the
work he performed himself as in obtaining the best results from those
around him, and the capacity to accomplish this is certainly one of the
most useful qualities a railway manager, or any man in a position of
authority, can possess. It is not too much to say that his staff loved
him; certainly they all admired him. He was the readiest man I ever met
to generous