e and amity should
have existed, and it gained nothing that discussion and compromise could
not have effected. The City of Dublin Junction Railway, a small line, a
little over a mile in length (worked by the Dublin and South-Eastern
Company) was formed to link up the Dublin railways and to provide through
routes in connection with the Holyhead and Kingstown Royal Mail steamers
and the steamers of the London and North-Western Company. A junction was
authorised to be made at Newcomen with the Midland Great Western system.
Parliament had sanctioned a junction, but not such a junction, the
Midland said, as it was proposed to make. It would be unsafe and
unworkable they contended, and they refused to allow it. The promoters
insisted, the Midland were obdurate; the promoters invaded the Midland
premises, knocked down a wall and entered on Midland land; the Midland
gathered their forces, drove back the attacking party, and restored the
wall; again the attack was made and repulsed and again the wall was
demolished and re-built, and so the warfare continued, until at length an
armistice was declared and the _casus belli_ referred for settlement to
the Railway Commissioners. Soon I had to prepare the Midland case for
the Commissioners' Court and give evidence before them. They decided
against us and I am sure they were right, though of course I swore, as I
was bound to do, that our opposition to the junction was natural and
proper and our opponents were an unreasonable set of people. The Railway
Commissioners sat in Dublin to hear the case; it was my first appearance
before them, and I was sorry that appearance was not in a better cause.

My first few years in Dublin were as busy as could be. Much was astir in
the Irish railway world and particularly on the Midland, which had their
share (a larger share than the other companies) of the "Balfour"
extension lines in hand. The proceedings under the _Railway and Canal
Traffic Act_ were also in full swing, involving frequent meetings at the
Irish Clearing House, and many journeys to London. Hard upon all this
came the work of preparing for a Parliamentary fight. This I thought a
joyful thing, and I was eager for the fray. I had helped to prepare my
old chief, Mr. Wainwright, for such contests but had never been in one
myself, had never even been inside a committee room. In 1891 the Midland
gave public notice of their intention to acquire by Act of Parliament the
Athenry an