Excerpt from The History of the South-Eastern Railway That a comparatively small railway like the south-e astern should possess a history which contains many incidents of a very varied character, as it' does, is most remarkable. The line has been Opened not much more than fifty years, yet during the whole of that period it has always been strongly before the public in some way or another. Its lately-resigned chairman (sir Edward Watkin), so well known as the Railway King, is generally known as a good fighter, but the Company has always, more or less, been at variance with its neighbours. Then the public has much to do with the line. It serves a populous suburban district in the South of London, and touches most of the holiday resorts patronised by Londoners. To the uninitiated the hidden springs that govern things are hard to under stand the public only see the results and know little of the inner working - the why and wherefore. These arise from many causes, small in themselves but great for weal or woe in their consequences.