Brierre v. R. C. Stone Milling Co.

5 Teiss. 241, 1908 La. App. LEXIS 63
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 8, 1908
DocketNo. 4435
StatusPublished

This text of 5 Teiss. 241 (Brierre v. R. C. Stone Milling Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brierre v. R. C. Stone Milling Co., 5 Teiss. 241, 1908 La. App. LEXIS 63 (La. Ct. App. 1908).

Opinion

ESTOPINAL, J.

The plaintiff claims of the defendant one thousand three hundred and eighty dollars ($1,380.00), averring that in the early part of the month of M.ay, 1907, it purchased from the defendant 690 barrels of hard wheat clear flour, at the price of two dollars and seventy cents ($2.70) a barrel, less ten (10) cents a barrel commission, making the net price two dollars and sixty'cents ($2.60) a barrel; that the flour was to be shipped from defendant’s establishment in thé State of Missouri, ?nd delivered to plaintiff in this city during the month of May, 1907; that defendant shipped said 690 barrels of flour, and in accordance with the terms stipulated between the buyer and ■seller, plaintiff was compelled to pay the draft drawn on it by defendant, amounting to orfe thousand seven h.und^red and ninety-four dollars ($1,794.00), before it could obtain delivery of the flour from the carrier; that when examined by the plaintiff, the flour, instead of being of the grade and quality stipulated, i. e., “hard wheat clear flour,” was foitnd to be of a low and irregular grade of soft wheat flour.

Plaintiff further avers that the price in the city of New Orleans of flour of the grade, kind and quality stipulated in the contract at the time the same was delivered and at the time this suit was filed, was four dollars ($4.00) a barrel, and that it could and would have resold the flour at said price had the flour come up to contract grade, and would have made profits aggregating nine hundred and sixty-six dollars ($966.00) ; that the market price and value in this city of the flour actually delivered by defendants was not more than two dollars ($2.00) a barrel, and that it will realize from the sale of said flour, at the rate of $2.00 a barrel, the sum of one thousand three hundred and eighty dollars ($1,380.00), and that of the money paid the defendants, viz: One thousand seven hundred and ninety-four dollars ($1,794.00), it has lost at least the sum of four hundred and fourteen dollars ($4x4.00).

[243]*243Plaintiff prayed for and obtained a writ of attachment on certain property belonging- to defendant, the latter being nonresidents.

Defendant tenders the general issue, but admits the sale by it to the plantiff of 690 barrels of flour at the price of two dollars and seventy cents ($2.70), less ten cents per barrel commission, and that it was fully paid therefor by plaintiff.

Defendant avers further, that the flour sold by it to plaintiff was a grade of “hard wheat clear flour,” and that before selling- same to plaintiff, it submitted, through its agent, a sample of the flour stipulated for in the agreement, to-wit: “Hard wheat clear flour,” and that said sample submitted to plaintiff was taken from the lot of flour subsequently shipped to plaintiff, all meeting with the latter’s approval.

Judgment below was for plaintiff for six hundred and twenty-five dollars and forty-seven cents ($625.47), and maintaining the attachment, from which judgment defendant has taken, this appeal.

An answer to the appeal by the plaintiff prays that the judgment be amended by increasing the sum to one thousand three hundred and eighty dollars ($1,380.00), the sum sued for.

The established proof in the record is, that the plaintiff was shown samples by one McDonald, an agent of defendant’s who represented said samples to be that of “hard wheat clear flour,” and on these representations by said agent of defendant, the plaintiff entered into a written contract with defendant to purchase 690 barrels of flour as per samples exhibited by McDonald, their agent.

This contract, drawn by the plaintiff, recites:

“We confirm sale to you as follows: 690 bbls, H. W. Clear at $2.70, less 10 per cent comn. per bbl.”

Defendant’s counsel earnestly urges that this contract amounted to a confirmation of sale which was made by sample purely, and that since no variance has been shown between the sample and the flour shipped to and received by plaintiff, that the latter is without right to now ■ complain. We have examined this record carefully and thoroughly. There are both questions of fact and of law involved.

From our appreciation of the testimony it is clear to our mind that the term “hard wheat clear” flour is a term well known and recognized in the trade, and said grade is known to the [244]*244trade as being such a quality or grade of flour susceptible of use in making bread.

The preponderance of the evidence shows that bakers understand “clear” flour to mean a flour in good condition and that will work or make bread. Reputable witnesses who testified as experts in this case, and who are apparently without interest in the matter, testify that the flour sold by defendants might do for “dusting.”

Defendants urge that they sold the flour for what it was worth per sample, and did not pretend that this flour would make bread. This may be very true, and had the transaction been complete and the sale consummated simply on the sample, it may be that the defendant would be without recourse, but unfortunately for the plaintiff, whether because he was impelled so to do by the price he was being paid for his flour, or some other reason, it entered into a written contract to bind or confirm the sale made by the agent, and this contract designated the goods sold as “Hard Wheat Clear” flour.

Though the evidence shows the flour to be “hard wheat,” its quality as being “clear” is not supported by the evidence, nor does it appear that its quality as hard wheat came up to the standard of such grade as understood by the trade.

We are advised that in the conversion of wheat into flour, three grades of flour are made, to-wit: “patents,” “clear” and “low grade.” “Patents” constitute the best that can be gotteq, out of the wheat and of what remains, or residuum of such wheat is obtained the “clear” and low grade.” It follows that the lower the “patent,” the higher or better the “clear.” Defendant’s contention is: That it made a specialty of “patents,” turning out an 85 per cent “patent,” and that a residuum of 15 per cent was left, from which was obtained the “clear” and “low grade,” three per cent of the 15 per cent going into the “low grade,” leaving therefore only 12 per cent to the “clear” flour.

Defendant argues that, it being well known to the plaintiffs that it (defendant) made an eighty-five per cent “patent,” they were charged with knowledge that the “clear” must come from a residuum of 15 per cent only. We do not think this to be a fair inference, nor that the plaintiffs should be charged with such knowledge.

Ordinarily, it is found that dealers in some particular line of [245]*245goods are experts, and know every detail and method of manufacture, but it does not follow that because of their ignorance they should be imposed upon and made to suffer for such igncr--anee.

True, plaintiff had dealt with the defendant company, buying the “patents ’ of the latter, but never before this transaction had it bought the defendant’s “clear.”

A member of the plaintiff firm, when shown samples and told by defendant’s agent that these samples were of “hard wheat clear,” could not tell from such samples whether it was “clear” from a 60 per cent “patent” or an 85 per cent “patent,” the defendant’s agent not vouchsafing any information in that particular when exhibiting the samples and making the trade:

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Bluebook (online)
5 Teiss. 241, 1908 La. App. LEXIS 63, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brierre-v-r-c-stone-milling-co-lactapp-1908.