Fairbanks , Morse & Co. v. Midvale Mining & Manufacturing Co.

80 S.W. 13, 105 Mo. App. 644, 1904 Mo. App. LEXIS 622
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 29, 1904
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 80 S.W. 13 (Fairbanks , Morse & Co. v. Midvale Mining & Manufacturing Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fairbanks , Morse & Co. v. Midvale Mining & Manufacturing Co., 80 S.W. 13, 105 Mo. App. 644, 1904 Mo. App. LEXIS 622 (Mo. Ct. App. 1904).

Opinion

BLAND, P. J.

The parties to the suit are business corporations. Omitting formal parts, the petition is as follows:

[647]*647“For cause of action plaintiff states that heretofore, to-wit, on or about the eleventh day of July, 1901, plaintiff and defendant entered into a contract whereby plaintiff agreed to sell, deliver and erect for defendant one 80 ton 40 ’ Fairbanks standard iron frame railroad track scale, with all latest patent improvements, at and for the sum and price of four hundred and thirty-three ■dollars ($433), which said amount defendant promised and agreed to pay to plaintiff one-third in cash upon the erection of said scales and the balance in ninety days thereafter, which said contract and agreement is in words and figures as follows:
- “St. Louis, Mo., July 11, ’01.
“Midvale Mining & Mfg. Co.,
“No. 401 Security Bldg., City.
“Gentlemen: We are pleased to quote you as follows : 80 ton 40 ’ Fairbanks standard iron frame railroad track scale, with all our latest patent improvements, $433.
“These prices are f. o. b. East St. Louis, and we will furnish, free of charge, an expert scale builder to frame the timbers and superintend erection of the scale foundation to be furnished by your company.
“We guarantee the scale to be our best grade, durable and accurate, in fact, a perfect weighing machine, and as you doubtless appreciate the importance of having something reliable for your work, we will hope to be favored with your valued order.
“Yours very truly,
“Fairbanks, Morse & Co.,
“By Frank Reiter.
“Accepted. Terms one-third cash as soon as scale is erected, bal. in ninety days. Accepted July 11, 1901.
“Midvale Mining & Mfg. Co.,
“J. E. Cartwright, Prest.
“Plaintiff says that in pursuance of said contract and agreement, it thereafter, to-wit, on or about the [648]*648first day of August, 1901, delivered said scale at and upon the premises of the defendant, and has ever since been ready, willing and anxious to erect said scale, but that the defendant has failed to and refused, and still refuses to permit plaintiff so to do, and in violation of said contract and agreement, has sent said scales away from said premises, and has undertaken to cancel its said contract or agreement with plaintiff. Plaintiff says that by reason of the premises above set forth, defendant has become, and now is, indebted to the plaintiff in the sum and amount of $433, together with interest thereon from the first day of August, 1901, and costs of this suit, for which plaintiff prays judgment. ”

The answer is as follows:

“Defendant now comes, and, answering plaintiff’s petition herein, says that, except as hereinafter admitted, it denies each and every allegation of said petition.
“Further answering, defendant says that plaintiff did not deliver or offer to deliver to defendant scales of the size, character and dimensions described in plaintiff’s petition, as required by the terms of its contract.
“Wherefore defendant says it is not indebted to plaintiff as charged in the petition.
“For a further answer defendant says that it was distinctly understood by both plaintiff and'defendant that the scales mentioned in the contract were to be used by defendant in weighing, in car load lots, the incoming and outgoing freight of defendant company, and that they were built in and upon a railroad track leading up .to defendant’s manufacturing establishment, and that the erection of said scales would require a suspension of defendant’s business and of all traffic upon said track while being erected. That by the terms of said contract the defendant was to furnish the lumber and material for the erection of said scales and plaintiff to furnish an expert scale builder to frame the timbers [649]*649and superintend the erection thereof, and that plaintiff was to give the defendant due and reasonable notice of the delivery of said scales, so that defendant could purchase and have on hand such material and lumber and could so arrange its business that said railroad tracks-could be torn up during the time required to erect said scales, which plaintiff says would be about two weeks. That plaintiff failed to give such notice or any notice-of its intention to deliver said scales. That plaintiff' did not deliver or offer to deliver said scales on board cars, as required by the contract. That when plaintiff offered to deliver said scales, defendant refused to-accept them at the time and in the manner offered, because great loss would thereby ensue to it, and so notified plaintiff, and it was then and there agreed by and between the plaintiff and defendant that said scales should be unloaded and left on defendant’s premises, subject to plaintiff’s order until such time as defendant, could be ready to accept and have the same erected, and,, in accordance with such agreement, they were so unloaded and left in defendant’s charge.
“That, notwithstanding such agreement, plaintiff' thereafter and before defendant was ready to accept, and erect said scales, demanded payment therefor and threatened suit against defendant in the event of it® failure to make such payment, and that thereupon defendant notified plaintiff it would remove the same from its premises, and, upon plaintiff’s insisting upon payment, accordingly did so and sent them to plaintiff.
“Defendant says that by reason of the premises it is not indebted to plaintiff in any sum whatever, and it prays for its costs herein laid out and expended.”

The plaintiff replied as follows:

“Now at this day comes the plaintiff, and, for reply to defendant’s answer filed herein, denies all of the new matter in said answer contained, except plaintiff admits that, under the contract sued on, defendant was [650]*650to furnish the timber for the erection of said scales, and that plaintiff was to furnish an expert scale builder to frame the timber and superintend the erection thereof.
“And plaintiff again prays judgment as in the petition.”

A jury was waived and the issues were submitted to the court, who, after hearing the evidence, at the request of plaintiff made the following findings of fact:

“That on or about July 11, 1901, the plaintiff and defendant entered into a contract in writing, in and by the terms of which the defendant agreed to purchase and the plaintiff to sell one 80 ton 40 foot standard iron frame railroad track scale at and for the price and sum of $433.00 f. o. b. St. Louis; that afterwards, on or about August 1, 1901, plaintiff delivered to defendant on its premises in East St. Louis said scale, and same was accepted by defendant; that thereafter defendant refused to pay for said scales or to use the same and undertook to return them to plaintiff, who refused to accept them in return; that defendant made no demand upon plaintiff to erect said scale, and made it impossible for plaintiff to erect the same. ’ ’

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Bluebook (online)
80 S.W. 13, 105 Mo. App. 644, 1904 Mo. App. LEXIS 622, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fairbanks-morse-co-v-midvale-mining-manufacturing-co-moctapp-1904.