“The battle of Newcomen Junction” was raging at the time I joined the “Midland,” as for shortness we dubbed the Midland Great Western and which, for the same reason, I shall continue to dub it, as convenience may require, during the continuance of my story.  If I have occasion to again speak of my alma mater, the Midland of England, it shall, for the sake of clearness, be so designated.  “The battle of Newcomen Junction.”  What of it?  In railway circles, not only in Ireland but in England and Scotland too, it caused some talk at the time and no little amusement.  Like many another conflict, ’twere better it had never been fought, for it left for long afterwards angry feelings where peace 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