CHAP. XVII. THE RAILWAY KING. 383 



raged by his followers, he struck out or supported many 

 new projects a line to Scarborough, a line to Bradford, 

 lines in the Midland districts, and lines to connect York 

 with Newcastle and Edinburgh. He was elected chair- 

 man of the Newcastle and Darlington Railway ; and 

 when in order to complete the continuity of the main 

 line of communication it was found necessary to secure 

 the Durham junction, which was an important link in 

 the chain, he and Mr. Stephenson boldly purchased that 

 railway between them, at the price of 88,500. It was 

 an exceedingly fortunate purchase for the Company, to 

 whom it was worth double the money. The act, though 

 not strictly legal, proved successful, and was much 

 lauded. Thus encouraged, Mr. Hudson proceeded to 

 buy the Brandling Junction line for 500,000/., in his 

 own name an operation at the time regarded as equally 

 favourable, though he was afterwards charged with 

 appropriating 1600 of the shares created for the pur- 

 chase, when worth 2 1/, premium each. The Great 

 North of England line being completed, Mr. Hudson 

 had thus secured the entire line of communication from 

 York to Newcastle, and the route was opened to the 

 public in June, '1844. On that occasion Newcastle 

 eulogised Mr. Hudson in its choicest local eloquence, 

 and he was pronounced to be the greatest benefactor 

 the district had ever known. 



The adulation which now followed Mr. Hudson would 

 have intoxicated a stronger and more self-denying man. 

 He was pronounced the man of the age, and hailed as 

 " the Eailway King." The grand test by which the 

 shareholders judged him was the dividends that he paid, 

 although subsequent events proved that these dividends 

 were in many cases delusive, intended only " to make 

 things pleasant." The policy, however, had its effect. 

 The shares in all the lines of which he was chairman 

 went to a premium, and then arose the temptation to 

 create new shares in branch and extension lines, often 



