Edwards v. Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway Co.

45 N.W. 827, 81 Mich. 364, 1890 Mich. LEXIS 759
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedJune 6, 1890
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 45 N.W. 827 (Edwards v. Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Edwards v. Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway Co., 45 N.W. 827, 81 Mich. 364, 1890 Mich. LEXIS 759 (Mich. 1890).

Opinion

Champlin, C. J.

On September 13, 1887, Daniel Edwards purchased a ticket from defendant entitling him to transportation from Lansing to Chicago, 111., and return. The ticket was called the Chicago Interstate Exposition Excursion Ticket,” and was sold to Edwards at a reduced rate from that of regular passenger tickets. It was good for going only on date of sale, and returning only to and including Monday immediately following the date of sale. It entitled the purchaser to one first-class continuous passage to Chicago, Ill., and return, subject to the following conditions printed upon the face of the ticket, viz.:

“ In consideration of the reduced rate at which this ticket is sold, it will be good for going passage only on date of sale. It is good for return passage only up to and including Monday following the date of sale, and when stamped and dated on back by ticket agent of Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Kailway at Chicago, and signed by me. The holder will identify himself or herself as the original purchaser of this ticket by writing his or her name, or by other means, if necessary, when required by conductor or agent. No stop-over allowed. Not transferable.”

Beneath the above conditions upon the ticket are the words, “I agree to the above conditions,” which was signed by D. Edwards, purchaser, in his own handwriting. The face of the ticket contained a description of the passenger, indicated by punch marks made by the ticket agent at Lansing opposite the characteristics printed thereon, which described Mr. Edwards as a slim, middle-aged man, with dark eyes and hair. On the back of the ticket there is printed the following:

In compliance with my contract with the Lake Shore [366]*366& Michigan Southern Railway Company, I hereby subscribe my name as the original purchaser of this ticket.
“Dated Chicago, Ill., -, 1887,”—

And there is a blank line for the signature. There are also printed directions to the agents at Lansing and Chicago to stamp in the space below. There were three coupons attached to the ticket, — one for a passage to Chicago, one for admittance to the exposition, and one for passage from Chicago to Lansing, “limited as per contract.”

Edwards took passage to Chicago on September 13, 1887, and made one continuous trip. On Saturday, September 17, he went to the depot of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway Company, where he arrived several minutes in advance of the time when the train he intended to take would leave. He busied himself with reading a newspaper until some of the party with whom he was announced that they must hurry up, and get upon the train. They passed through the gateway designed as the entrance to suburban trains, and, climbing over the platform of cars and crossing tracks, reached the train which they desired to take. Had they waited until admitted through the proper gate to take this train, their tickets would have been inspected by the gate-keeper, and no one would have been admitted unless his ticket entitled him to ride on that train. Soon after the train pulled out, the conductor came through the car in which Edwards and his companions were seated, collecting tickets and fares. Edwards presented the ticket above described, having attached á coupon for passage from Chicago to Lansing, upon which was printed: “Limited as per contract.” The plaintiff had neglected or omitted to sign his name upon the back of the ticket as the original purchaser, and had neglected to have it stamped and dated upon the back by the ticket agent in Chicago. Upon [367]*367•presenting the ticket to the conductor, he refused to receive it because it was not stamped nor dated by the ticket agent at Chicago, and did not contain the signature ■on the back, and informed Mr. Edwards that without these he could not take the ticket, and that he must get off at the Twenty-second Street station, when he could go back and get it stamped. Mr. Edwards declined to get off, and the conductor told him that he must get off at that station or he would have to put him off. The train stopped at that station, but Mr. Edwards did not get off.

After passing the station the conductor found him upon the train, and told him again that the ticket was worthless, and that, if he insisted upon riding on that •train, he would have to pay his fare to Elkhart, which was his run, and he would give him a receipt for it, so .he could show it to the company and settle the matter with them; and Edwards said he would pay his fare, as •the conductor testifies; that he then made out a receipt; •and, when he presented it to Edwards, he then inquired if he would have to go through with the same thing with the next conductor, and was told he would. He then said he would not pay; that he had already paid his fare, and was going to ride home on the ticket. He explained to the conductor who he was and where he lived, and referred him to three or four citizens of Lansing then sitting near in the car, who would identify him, and offered to pay the expense of a telegram to the agent at Lansing to verify the sale of the ticket to him. The conductor told him he was acting under rules of the company, which required him to refuse tickets which were not stamped and dated by the agent in Chicago as required by the ■conditions of the ticket, and that unless he paid his fare he would put him off.

Mr. Edwards denies that he offered to pay his fare if [368]*368he was given a receipt, but says the conductor offered t'o give him a receipt if he wouid pay his fare. After they had got about 25 miles out, the conductor asked to see the ticket. Edwards handed it to him, and he put it in his pocket, and told him i£ When you pay your fare, I will give you your ticket and receipt.” At the same time he. explained to him that if he would pay his fare, and take a receipt for it, when he got to Lansing, and presented the receipt and ticket to the agent, his money would be refunded, and that if he did not pay his fare he would be put off at Elkhart. He refused to pay, and was put off at Elkhai’t. His ticket was handed back to him befoi-e he was put off. He brings this action, in trespass on the case, to recover his damages for being forcibly ejected from the train. The trial judge held that he could not recover.

It is claimed by counsel for plaintiff that the condition requiring the ticket to be stamped at Chicago was an immatex’ial condition, so long as the plaintiff had, to the certain knowledge of the conductor, taken passage at Chicago; that plaintiff was in a situation to, and offered to, identify himself as the proper person, — as the pux1chaser of the ticket; that the question of identity was, by the ticket itself, to be finally decided by' the conductor; that the peculiar circumstances, including the terms of the ticket contract, distinguished this case from all those cases in which the x’easonableness of conditions in tickets, limiting the use of them, have been passed upon by the courts. These distinctions are pointed out by counsel for plaintiff as follows:

“ 1. But one question arose, or could possibly have arisen, concerning his right to ride upon the ticket. That question, addressed to the conductox1, was: ‘Is this xnan who presents this ticket to me the person who bought it and owns it, and is entitled to ride upon it?’
“2. That, taking the condition, or all the conditions, [369]

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
45 N.W. 827, 81 Mich. 364, 1890 Mich. LEXIS 759, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/edwards-v-lake-shore-michigan-southern-railway-co-mich-1890.