Gaunt v. Ralston Purina Co.

198 F. 60, 117 C.C.A. 168, 1912 U.S. App. LEXIS 1628
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
DecidedMay 14, 1912
DocketNo. 3,673
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 198 F. 60 (Gaunt v. Ralston Purina Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gaunt v. Ralston Purina Co., 198 F. 60, 117 C.C.A. 168, 1912 U.S. App. LEXIS 1628 (8th Cir. 1912).

Opinion

GARLAND, Circuit Judge.

This is an action by the Ralston Purina Company to recover damages from C. B. Gaunt for breach of two contracts for the sale and delivery of Kaffir corn. The Purina Company recovered a judgment in the court below, and Gaunt has removed the case here by writ of error. The complaint of the Purina Company contained two counts based upon two alleged contracts for the sale of corn, dated November .13 and 17, 1906, respectively. The trial court charged the jury that the telegrams and letters introduced in evidence constituted valid contracts between the parties. This charge was excepted to and is assigned as error.

It appears that the Purina Company sometimes did business under the name of Robinson-Danforth Commission Company, and that Gaunt sometimes did business as C. B. Gaunt Grain Company. The correspondence out of which this case arises was conducted under the names last mentioned.

On November 13, 1906, Gaunt sent the Purina Company the following telegram:

“Wichita, Kansas, Nov. 13, 1906.
“Robinson-Danforth Commission Co., St. Louis, Mo. Offer ten thousand bushels Kaffir corn 75c cwt. St. Louis, December shipment.
“C. B. Gaunt Grain Co.” .

On the same day the Purina Company replied as follows, by wire:

“11/13/6.
“C. B. Gaunt Grain Co., Wichita, Kansas. Accept ten thousand bushels 3 or better Kaffir corn, 75e cwt. St. Louis, St. Louis weights and grades. December shipment. Bobinson-Danforth Commission Co.”

Gaunt also the same day sent the Purina Company the following letter:

“Wichita, Kan., Nov. 13, 1906.
“Robinson-Danforth Com. Co., St. Louis, Mo. — Dear Sir: This confirms our sale to you to-day by wire of car about 10,000 bushels bulk, No. 3 or better white Kaffir corn at 75 per cwt. f. o. b. car, Del. St. Louis, Mo., subject to St. Louis official inspection St. Louis official weights, shipment within Dee. days, via any road. By. Off grades to apply on this contract as follows. Billed to St. Louis, Mo. Demand draft with B/L attached. Any exception to any part of the above must be reported at once, otherwise this confirmation to govern settlement.
“Yours very respectfully, The O. B. Gaunt Grain Go., by Gaunt.”

To which the Purina Company immediately replied by letter as follows:

“The C. B. Gaunt Grain Co., Wichita, Kansas — Gentlemen: This confirms exchange of wires, resulting in our purchasing from you 10,000 bu. of No. 3 or better White Kaffir corn at 75c per cwt., f. o. b. St. Louis; December shipment. St. Louis Merchants’ Exchange weights 'and grades to govern. We have arranged so that you can extend the time of shipment on these 10,000 bushels into January, if you see fit. Keep us posted oñ more offerings, and if we can make a trade for you will be only too glad to do so.
“Very truly yours, ,, Bobinson-Danforth Com. Co.
“Dictated by W. H. D.-5.”

On November 17, 1906, Gaunt sent the Purina Company the following telegram:

[62]*62“Wicbita, Kansas, Nov. 17, 1906.
“Robinson-Danforth Com. Co., St. Louis, Mo. Offer ten thousand bushels '3 White Kaffir 75 cwt. St. Louis Dec. Jan. shipment.
“C. B. Gaunt Grain Co.”

To which the Purina Company immediately replied as follows:

“11/17/6.
“C. B. Gaunt Grain Co., Wichita, Kansas. Accept ten thousand bushels three or better Kaffir corn, 75c cwt. St. Louis. St. Louis weights and grades. December shipment. Robinson-Danforth Com. Co.”

On November 17th, Gaunt wrote the Purina Company the following letter: .

“Wichita, Kansas, Nov. 1906.
“Robinson-Danforth Com. Co., St. Louis, Mo. — Dear Sir: This confirms our sale to you to-day by wire of cars 10,000 bu. bulk, 3 or better White Kaffir corn at 75c per cwt. f. o. b. ears, St. Louis, Mo., subject to St. Louis official inspection St. Louis official weights, shipment within Dec. Jan. days, via any Ry. Off grades to apply on this contract as follows: Billed to St. Louis, Mo. Demand draft with B/L attached. Any exception to any "part of the above must be reported at once, otherwise this confirmation to govern settlement.
“Yours very respectfully, • C. B. Gaunt Grain Co., by Gaunt.”

To which the Purina Company replied on November 17th, as follows :

“Nov. 17, 1906.
“The C. B. Gaunt Grain Co., Wichita, Kansas — Gentlemen: This confirms our wire, in answer to yours, resulting in our purchasing from you 10,000 bu. of No. 3 or better White Kaffir corn at 75c per cwt., delivered St. Louis. St. Louis Merchants’ Kxchange weights and grades. December-January shipment.
“Very truly yours, . Robinson-Danforth Com. Co.
' “Dictated W. H. D.-5.”

[1] In support of the contention that the minds of the parties to the foregoing correspondence did not meet and agree upon the same thing, it is alleged that the acceptance of the offers of Gaunt by the Purina Company specified a grade of corn and referred to a different inspection from that named in the offers of. Gaunt. This criticism is highly technical and without merit. Gaunt found no fault with the acceptance, and delivered corn according to the terms of the first contract, including grade and inspection. lie claims that he had a right to refuse to deliver more corn for the reason that the Purina Company refused to receive a car of corn which it is claimed under official inspection graded No. 3 according to contract.

It appears in the evidence that there was but one official inspection at St. Louis, and the chief deputy inspector of grain in charge of the St. Louis office testified that there was but one inspection at St. Louis, and this inspection is spoken of as St. Louis Official, Merchants’ Exchange, or Missouri State. We are satisfied that both parties understood the offer and acceptance in th°e same sense, and that the telegrams and letters constituted a valid contract.

[2] There was no error in the admission in evidence of the letter dated April 2, 1907, from the Purina Company to Gaunt. In the reply [63]*63thereto, dated April 10, 1907, Gaunt states that he never had expected to terminate the contracts, and he did not absolutely refuse to perform the same until he wrote the letter of April 16, 1907. It also appears from Gaunt’s own letters that he gave the shortage of cars as an excuse for nondelivery of the corn. Upon the question of damages, the trial court charged the jury as follows:

“'Now a question you may be called upon to determine in tliis case is tbe question as to what the plaintiff was damaged by the withdrawal of the defendant from its contracts in this case, or its repudiation of the contracts. And in that respect I charge you, as follows: The burden of proof is on the plaintiff in this case. These contracts when entered into between the parties were property rights.

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Bluebook (online)
198 F. 60, 117 C.C.A. 168, 1912 U.S. App. LEXIS 1628, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gaunt-v-ralston-purina-co-ca8-1912.