Chronister Lumber Co. v. Williams

28 S.W.2d 844, 1927 Tex. App. LEXIS 1393
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 7, 1927
DocketNo. 1159.
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 28 S.W.2d 844 (Chronister Lumber Co. v. Williams) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chronister Lumber Co. v. Williams, 28 S.W.2d 844, 1927 Tex. App. LEXIS 1393 (Tex. Ct. App. 1927).

Opinion

WALKER, J.

The nature of this suit is fully stated in our certificate to the Supreme Court, which is as follows:

“This suit was instituted by appellee, Mrs. Bob Williams, against appellant, Chronister Lumber Company, a corporation, for herself and minor children bo recover exemplary damages against appellant for the death of her husband, she alleging that appellant owned and operated a sawmill in Cherokee County, Texas, which it logged by means of a tram-road extending from its mill into Nacogdoches County and back again into Cherokee County; that her husband was ini the employ of appellant on or about the 25th day of April, 1922; that he lived at Douglas on appellant’s tram-road, and was transported daily by appellant on a valuable consideration from his home near Douglas.in Nacogdoches County to appellant’s ‘front,’ a distance of ten or twelve miles, where he did his daily work, and at the close of the day was transported back to his home; that he was killed by appellant’s gross negligence on the day mentioned. She further alleged that appellant was a subscriber under our Workmen’s Compensation Act, and that she had been awarded and was collecting compensation under its provisions.
“The only issue of negligence submitted to the jury was as follows: ‘Was the defendant, Chronister Lumber Company, guilty of gross negligence in the manner in which the train was made up and operated at the time and under the circumstances?’ This issue was answered in appellee’s favor and her damages fixed at $6,000. The record reflects the following facts:
“1. In 1922 and for many years prior to that date, appellant owned and operated a sawmill at Wildhurst, in Cherokee County, Texas, which it logged by means of a tramroad extending from its mill in Cherokee County into Nacogdoches County by way of Dodglas, and from there a (distance of ten or twelve miles back into Cherokee County.
“That it had been maintaining a camp near Douglas for some years prior to April 25, 1922, but on that date was establishing a new camp at the terminus of its road, and was at that time, under an agreement, transporting its employees who lived at Douglas to and from thejr work. This was done daily on a valuable consideration. Bob Williams was one of appellant’s regular employees, who lived at Douglas, and was transported to and from his work daily under the said agreement.
“2. Appellant operated a log train over its tramroad from its mill to its timber at the terminus of the road. This train usually consisted of an engine and tender, one loader, a train of log cars, and caboose. The proper way to make up this train was to put the engine, tender and loader at the front end, followed by the log ears, and to put the caboose at the extreme end of the train. This was the customary and safe place to put the caboose, and operatives of the train recognized that it was dangerous to those riding in the caboose to put it at any other place in the train. Appellant had been maintaining a camp at Douglas for some years prior to April 25, 1922, but at that time was establishing a new camp at the terminus of its railroad, and in the meantime was daily transporting its employees who lived at Douglas from their homes to and from their work. This was on a valuable consideration both to appellant and to the employees.
“3. One S. W. Littlejohn was appellant’s manager, and as to the extent of his relations and the relations of one Harris Anderson, Mr. Littlejohn testified:
“ ‘My name is S. W. Littlejohn; I am manager of Chronister Lumber Company and was manager for them in April, 1922. * * * My duties were to look after the running of *846 the mill generally and I liad authority to make a contract with anyone on anything. I remember hearing of the accident in which Boh Williams lost his life. At the time of the occurrence I was in Tyler, Smith County. I don’t remember exactly what time I reached home with reference to the time of the accident, but it was a day or two after that. I don’t know whether I called anyone in Nacog-doches County as soon as I heard of the accident. * * *
“ Tt was a pretty good while after the wreck before I was out where it occurred. Harris Anderson was our woods foreman and he went out daily with the train. He had authority to make up the train and what he said about their makeup went. * *. *
“ ‘Mr. Anderson was superintendent of the woods operation of the Company. He had a right to give instructions to the train men as to how they should make up the train and it was the trainmen’s duty to comply with his orders. If someone was to be discharged and I wasn’t there Mr. Anderson could do * * *
“ T didn’t have anything to do with Mr. Williams being on that train. He was one of the employees of our company. I don’t Mow how many employees there were on that train that day. Erom 30 to ’ 40 men generally worked out at the front. Some of them would go out on the caboose and some that lived in the community did not. Those who lived at Camp No. X would be at the time 12 or 15 miles from the new camp. * * *
“ ‘The woods foreman was Mr. Harris Anderson. I employed him. The Board of Directors of the corporation did not have anything to do with me employing him, but I did it myself. * ⅜ * Mr. Anderson was superintendent of the woods operation of the company. He had a right to give instructions to the train men as to how they should make up the train and it was the trainmen’s duty to comply with his orders. If someone was to be discharged and I wasn’t there Mr. Anderson could do it’
“4. On the 25th day of April, 1922, the log train was made up by Anderson by putting the engine,» tender and lo^'s first, in the order named, then the caboose, followed by about fourteen log cars loaded with green logs. As the train was crossing a creek on its trip back to the mill on the evening of that day, the track gave way, wrecking the caboose and several of the log cars; and killing Bob Williams.
“5. The evidence is sufficient to raise the issue and support a jury finding that Harris Anderson was guilty of gross negligence in the manner in which he made up and operated the log train, and that his negligence was the proximate cause of Bob Williams’ death.
“The following questions are involved in this appeal, and determine its result, though many other questions are raised by appellant’s assignments, which we must determine, but as to which this court is in accord. However, we are not in agreement upon the answers to those questions, and, therefore, we hereby certify them to you for your consideration, and most respectfully pray that you answer them for us;
“Question One; Can the gross negligence of the woods foreman, Harris Anderson, be imputed to appellant, thereby making appellant guilty of gross negligence and liable in exemplary damages to appellee?
“Question Two: Can the gross negligence of Harris Anderson be imputed to appellee’s manager, S. W. Littlejohn, whom he represented and whose authority Anderson exercised in Littlejohn’s absence, and, through Lit-tlejohn, to appellant, making it guilty of gross negligence, and thereby liable to appellee in exemplary damages?

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Bluebook (online)
28 S.W.2d 844, 1927 Tex. App. LEXIS 1393, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chronister-lumber-co-v-williams-texapp-1927.