Blackmore v. Fairbanks, Morse & Co.

44 N.W. 548, 79 Iowa 282, 1890 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 59
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedFebruary 3, 1890
StatusPublished
Cited by36 cases

This text of 44 N.W. 548 (Blackmore v. Fairbanks, Morse & Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Blackmore v. Fairbanks, Morse & Co., 44 N.W. 548, 79 Iowa 282, 1890 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 59 (iowa 1890).

Opinion

Robinson, J.

The agreement under which the machinery in controversy was sold was in writing and in the form of an order. The portions material to a determination of the questions raised on this appeal are as follows:

“Messrs. Bairbanlcs, Morse & Co., Chicago
“Please furnish me at once the following named goods: * * * One twenty-five-horse power Standard Westinghouse engine; one thirty-horse power boiler, with fixtures complete, and machines as follows : One steam pump, with sufficient capacity to supply boiler and heater with water taken from the well; * * * one Stillwell heater and connections complete. * * * This order is for the engine and boiler at Lesterville, Dakota Territory, with fixtures complete, except inspirator and heater; the latter to be replaced with the Stillwell heater. Said outfit to be in good order, except from exposure to weather at Lesterville, which has not damaged the real merits of the machinery.”

The machinery specified in the agreement was delivered to plaintiff. The petition alleges that the machinery was “warranted to be sufficient to furnish the motive power for the Aplington Grist and Flouring Mills, and be sound, and do good work, specified in said warranty. * * * That on a specified test thereof said engine, machinery and appliances sold by defendant to plaintiff proved defective and insufficient, [285]*285in this: That it throws crank case oil into the heater and boiler, so as to render it dangerous, insufficient and entails great expense in its operation, and is insufficient to furnish the motive power for plaintiff’s said mill.” The answer denies the alleged warranty, denies the alleged defects in the machinery, and avers that the cause of the throwing of crank case oil into the heater and boiler was the use by plaintiff of an open heater, without an oil extractor. The answer further avers, by way of counter-claim, that plaintiff and one Wandby, by means of a fraudulent conspiracy, caused defendant to ship for said Wandby, at Parkersburg, Iowa, a beam stock-scale and beam box for the agreed price of one hundred and sixty-five dollars; that said scale and beam box were marked to defendants at Parkersburg, and upon their arrival there they were taken under a writ of attachment issued in this action; that the order for said attached property was given by Wandby, at the request and for the benefit of plaintiff, in order to get property of defendant, a foreign corporation, within the jurisdiction of this court, and thus cause defendant to appear in this action; that the price of the. scale and box is unpaid. Judgment is demanded therefor. The answer further avers that defendant was not the manufacturer of the machinery in question, and that in the sale thereof it acted only as agents for the manufacturer, the Westihghouse Machine Works. The counterclaim is denied.

i evidence : toboeiate°-nno prejudice. I. Plaintiff testified to receiving the machinery, and that he" proceeded to erect the engine. After describing what was necessary to be done, ke stated that he had instructions in regard to it; that defendant sent him a plan. He was then asked this question: “Was it erected according to the plan ?” and he answered “Yes.” Defendant then objected to the question upon the ground that plaintiff should show the plan, and show how the machinery was erected ; and the objection was overruled. The objection should have been made, if at all, before the answer was given. The interrogatory [286]*286related to an issue tendered by the answer, and was asked of plaintiff during bis examination in chief,. to support the averments of his petition. Defendant had an opportunity to cross-examine the Avitness, and test the accuracy of his answer. We do not find any attempt shown by the record to prove that plaintiff deviated from the plan furnished in setting up the machinery. In view of these facts no prejudice could have resulted to defendant from the ruling in question, even if it be conceded that the objection was made in time.

g _. ob.eo_ out’gromia stated. II. Plaintiff testified that the engine did not develop more than seventeen-horse power. He was then asked this question: “ Was that sufficient for the propelling of the mill machinery?” The question was objected to, but no ground of objection was stated. The substance of the answer was that the power developed was not sufficient. The court was not obliged to sustain an objection for which no ground was suggested, even though a sufficient one in fact existed. It is the right of the court to know upon what ground the objector relies. It is now suggested that the question was improper because it was asked on the theory that defendant agreed to furnish an engine and boiler sufficient to run plaintiff’s mill, but the court charged the jury that it only agreed to furnish an engine of twenty-five-horse power. The evidence tended to show that an engine of twenty-five-horse power would run the machinery of the mill. Therefore the answer tended to show that the engine furnished was not of that power. The ruling in question Avas not erroneous.

3‘ tiras1?1 only grounds considered, III. Plaintiff was asked: “If the engine and boiler and appliances, furnished under the order, had been in good order, and of real merit, would it have been worth the price you paid I” This was objected to on the ground that tqqe ccmtract price is the established price between them, which they cannot deny.” The objection [287]*287was overruled, and plaintiff answered: “Yes, sir. It would have been worth more.” Appellant complains of the question on the ground that defendant did not agree that the machinery should be “in good order, and of real merit,” as assumed by the question. But the objection did not raise the question now discussed. The question was not a proper one, but no prejudice could have resulted from the defect pointed out by the objection made.

4<_: power of peteSoy.oom' IV. Appellant complains that a witness named Wheater was permitted to testify, without showing himself qualified as an expert, that the eDLgine did not furnish twenty-five-horse power. The witness was engaged in the milling business in the mill in question, and knew the engine in controversy. He stated that the engine only furnished about seventeen-horse power, and knew that fact by comparing the power it developed with that developed by three water-wheels in the mill, of known power. The power of those wheels was ascertained by actual measurement. We think it was competent for the witness to show the result of a comparison of the power developed by the wheels with that, furnished by the engine. The power of the latter may have been ascertainable with greater accuracy, but we are of the opinion that the evidence was admissible for what it was worth. The same is true of certain testimony of plaintiff, to the same effect, to which objection is made.

______ J'oy-.Vhen’not V. Appellant complains of the refusal of the court to allow defendant to show that it was an agent for the sale of the Westinghouse engine at the time of the sale to plaintiff. It was not shown, nor was xt proposed to show, that plaintiff knew of the alleged agency when he contracted with defendant; and in the contract it is named, and in all respects treated, as a principal. The evidence in question was therefore properly excluded.

[288]*2886. conspiracy: rctfonabiel evidence. [287]

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Bluebook (online)
44 N.W. 548, 79 Iowa 282, 1890 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 59, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/blackmore-v-fairbanks-morse-co-iowa-1890.