Choctaw, O. & G. R. v. Hamilton

182 F. 117, 1910 U.S. App. LEXIS 5632
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Oklahoma
DecidedOctober 3, 1910
DocketNo. 616
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 182 F. 117 (Choctaw, O. & G. R. v. Hamilton) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Choctaw, O. & G. R. v. Hamilton, 182 F. 117, 1910 U.S. App. LEXIS 5632 (E.D. Okla. 1910).

Opinion

CAMPBELL, District Judge.

This case was tried, in the United States Court for the Southern District of the Indian Territory, at Ard-[118]*118more, in January, 1906, resulting in a verdict and judgment for plaintiff against the three defendants in specific amounts as to each, as set forth in the verdict. In due course the case was appealed by the defendants to the Court of Appeals for the Indian Territory, and before decision by that court statehood intervened, and the appeal is now here by operation of law for determination by this court.

From the complaint filed in the trial court, it appears that plaintiff was the owner of a certain lot in the town of Ardmore, upon which he resided, having thereon, as he alleges, improvements costing some $1,-600, which lot, as so improved, was, at the time of the building of the defendant’s railroad through Ardmore, worth the sum of $3,000. He alleges that the defendants Western Oklahoma & Gulf Railway Company and the Choctaw, Oklahoma & Gulf Railroad Company constructed and owned the line of railway through Ardmore on and about which the things he complains of exist; that the defendant, Choctaw, Oklahoma & Gulf Railroad Company placed thereon locomotives, engines, cars, and all other necessary appliances, and continued to operate the same since the completion of the road until about the-day of —■ 1904, when the defendant Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway Company leased the railroad, with its right of way, tracks, switches, depots, machine shops, engines, cars, and other appliances, and has ever since, and was at the time of filing of the com-plaintj using, operating, and controlling- the same. He further states that the defendants the Western Oklahoma & Gulf Railway Company and the Choctaw, Oklahoma & Gulf Railroad Company, in the .construction of the said railroad, built the same within about 36 .feet of his property, and has established west pf and near the plaintiff’s property a roundhouse, machine shops, a large water tank and coal bins, and in the operation of said railroad and switches the defendants have continually maintained, and the defendant Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway Company is now maintaining, thereon engines and cars. He .then charges that the defendants have negligently constructed and maintained a dangerous crossing on B street, a short distance north of his premises; but the court excluded all testimony as to this crossing.

Pie further charges-that the defendants, disregarding' plaintiff’s rights in the premises, have built and constructed, and are now maintaining, said water tank and coal bins só as to obstruct completely and entirely Fifth avenue, a street running east and west along the south line of his property, which obstruction is at a point west of and near plaintiff’s premises, and have ever since the same was built, and are now, preventing plaintiff from using said street or avenue to the west of his said premises; that there is no other street running east and west to the south of plaintiff’s property, and no - other street, except B street, above mentioned, that he can use going -north, without great inconvenience and loss of time. He then charges that said coal bins have no top, the sides being only about two feet high, so that, when coal is deposited or unloaded into them, the coal dust blows in great quantities,-upom the. plaintiff’s premises, settling thereon,, to the great discomfort of himself and .family and damage to his property. He states that his residence fronts said tracks, water tank, coal bins, and roundhbusé, and that said structures, and-the smoke and dust and [119]*119noise coming therefrom and from the engines kept there, áre particularly and especially objectionable to plaintiff, and injurious to him and his family and his property. Pie further complains that, in the operation of said railroad and switches, the defendants have continually maintained, and the last-named defendant is now maintaining, in and about said roundhouse, near said water tank and coal bins, and in front of and within a few feet of plaintiff’s premises, engines which are continually emitting large volumes of smoke, dust, and cinders, which come over and settle down upon his premises, blowing into the house, and upon the clothing, etc., rendering the condition of himself and family uncomfortable, and at times intolerable; that said engines are negligently and carelessly permitted to stand for hours at a time very near the plaintiff’s premises, blowing off steam, etc., making loud and disagreeable noises, particularly at night, to the great disturbance of the rest of plaintiff and his family; that said engines and cars obstruct the street crossing and render the street dangerous to travel; and that defendants have abundant trackage, not otherwise in use, farther west and away from plaintiff’s premises, where the sáme would not annoy, disturb, or injure plaintiff or any one else. For all of which he prays damages in the sum of $2,000.

The defendants filed answer specifically denying the allegations of the plaintiff’s complaint, and setting up certain affirmative defenses not necessary now to be noticed.

At the trial, the plaintiff offered testimony tending to show that the value of his premises immediately before the building of the railroad was $3,000, and immediately thereafter it was from $1,500 to $2,000. He also offered testimony tending to show that, at several times since the building of the road, the smoke and cinders from the engines standing at or near the coal bins, drifted over his premises and settled thereon, causing him and his family inconvenience and discomfort. He also offered testimony tending to show that, at the point where said railroad crosses Fifth avenue, the street was' entirely obstructed by the coal bin and other railroad structures. From the uncontradicted testimony offered at the trial, it appears that plaintiff’s property is not touched at any point by the railroad or its right of way; it being some 35 feet from the right of way to plaintiff’s property at the nearest point. Plaintiff’s lot is at the southwest corner of block 447, fronting to the west on B street, and to the south on Fifth avenue. Fifth avenue runs east and west, along the south side of this lot and block. B street runs north and south, along the west side of this lot and block. Block 448 is immediately across B street, to the west of plaintiff’s property. The railroad, coming from the northeast, crosses the northwest corner of block 447, then crosses B street at a point north of plaintiff’s lot, thence, continuing southwesterly, crosses block 448, and thence crosses Fifth avenue, which also runs along the south side of block 448. It appears from the evidence that this crossing on Fifth avenue is completely blocked by the coal bins, water tank, and other structures built and maintained by the defendants, and this obstruction is one of the things complained of by plaintiff. It appears from the testimony that this obstruction is something over 300 feet from plaintiff’s premises at the nearest point, and, as stated before, no portion of plaintiff’s [120]*120property is taken by the railroad, nor does it abut upon the right of way at any point, nor are any of the crossings complained of by plain-' tiff upon that portion of either B street or Fifth avenue immediately in front of plaintiff’s property. It also appears from the evidence that, while plaintiff’s access to certain other portions of the town of Ard-more is cut off, so far as Fifth avenue is concerned, they may be reached by the use of other streets, although, in some instances, it may be a more circuitous route.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Broughton v. Brewer
298 F. Supp. 260 (N.D. Alabama, 1969)
John Howard v. United States
306 F.2d 392 (Tenth Circuit, 1962)
Coy v. City of Tulsa
2 F. Supp. 411 (N.D. Oklahoma, 1933)
King Manufacturing Co. v. City Council of Augusta
277 U.S. 100 (Supreme Court, 1928)
Gilhooley v. Columbus Railway, Power & Light Co.
20 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 545 (Court of Common Pleas of Ohio, Franklin County, Civil Division, 1918)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
182 F. 117, 1910 U.S. App. LEXIS 5632, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/choctaw-o-g-r-v-hamilton-oked-1910.