Groot v. Oregon Short Line R.

96 P. 1019, 34 Utah 152, 1908 Utah LEXIS 47
CourtUtah Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 18, 1908
DocketNo. 1911
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 96 P. 1019 (Groot v. Oregon Short Line R.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Groot v. Oregon Short Line R., 96 P. 1019, 34 Utah 152, 1908 Utah LEXIS 47 (Utah 1908).

Opinion

PRICK, J.

This is an action for damages, alleged to have been caused by the negligence of the defendants, as common carriers, in transporting' twelve carloads of sheep from Soda Springs, Idaho, to Omaha, Nebraska. The complaint consisted of two causes of action, one for damages to seven carloads of lambs, ewes, and wethers belonging to plaintiffs, and the other for five car loads of lambs owned by one H. C. Gorton, who assigned his claim to the plaintiffs before the bringing of this action. The answers of the defendants were, in effect, gen[156]*156eral denials. Tbe evidence developed at tbe trial, wbicb supported tbe allegations of tbe complaint, very briefly stated, tended to establish tbe following facts: That tbe sbeep owned by plaintiffs were mutton sbeep in good condition, consisting of nearly 2,800 bead of lambs, 600 or 100 bead of wethers, and about fifty bead of ewes amounting to a little over 3,500 bead in all. Mr. Gorton’s sbeep' were likewise shown to have been in good condition for mutton, and were 1,300 or 1,400 in number; that- tbe whole number of lambs and sheep were delivered to tbe defendant Oregon Short Line Railway Company, in tbe condition stated above, at Soda Springs, Idaho, and were there loaded into twelve cars to be transported to Chicago, Ill., for sale on tbe market. Tbe train with tbe sbeep departed from Soda Springs at about 6 o’clock p. m. on tbe 18th day of October, 1906. Tbe sbeep were delivered to and received by tbe Union Pacific Railroad Company, after having been transported from Soda Springs, Idaho, at Granger, Wyo., wbicb place is 141 miles east of Soda Springs.' Tbe Union Pacific Railroad Company received these sbeep at Granger, for tbe purpose of transporting them to their destination. It does not appear from tbe evidence at what time tbe sheep' arrived at Granger, but it does appear that they arrived at Rawlins, Wyo., at about 2 o’clock a. m. on tbe 20th day of October following. Raw-lins was tbe first stopping place to rest, feed, and water tbe sbeep. .The sheep' could not be unloaded for that purpose, however, until about 6 o’clock on tbe morning of tbe 20th of October. It is further made to1 appear that the sheep-yards at Rawlins were not in very good condition to feed tbe sheep, and that the lambs did not eat much food at that place. Tbe time consumed between Soda Springs and Rawlins, up to tbe time the sbeep were unloaded to be fed, was thirty-six hours, and tbe distance between tbe two points is 310 miles. Tbe sheep were reloaded at Rawlins, and started east at about 1 o ’clock of tbe evening of tbe 20th of October', and tbe next feeding point was at Sidney, Neb., wbicb is 216 miles east of Rawlins. Tbe train arrived at Sidney about noon on the 22d day of October, consuming about fifty-three hours [157]*157since leaving Rawlins. In making tbe run from Rawlins to Sidney tbe train was stopped for about seven hours at Cheyenne, and about three hours some distance west of Sidney. The feedyards at Sidney were cattle yards, not prepared for sheep, and the testimony discloses that the man in charge of the yards informed plaintiff that there was not sufficient room nor feed for the sheep'. The watering troughs were constructed for cattle, and were too high for watering the sheep conveniently. A severe snowstorm started after the train had arrived at Sidney, and in feeding the sheep on the ground they did not get sufficient food, and plaintiffs could only obtain about two-thirds of the amount of hay required toi feed, on the 22d of October. The storm continued during the day of the 23d, and the snow drifted and caused the sheep to be covered up in the feedyard and about two-hundred head were smothered, or died from other causes. On and after the 23d of October plaintiffs could obtain no food at Sidney for the sheep- except some'straw, which the testimony tended to show is unfit food for sheep, and that they will eat it only when starving. The sheep remained at Sidney in practically this condition until abo-ut 11 o’clock on the 25th of October, when they were reloaded and started east again, and arrived at Grand Island, Neb., at about noon of the 26th of October, where they were stopped for feeding for about twenty-four hours. The next run was from Grand Island to Valley, where the sheep were again fed, after which they were transported to Omaha, arriving there on the morning of the 31st of October, more than twelve days after leaving Soda Springs, and after going a distance of about 1,000 miles. The usual time consumed in making this run the testimony shows is from four to six days, including stoppage for rest and feed. In making the run ordinarily two stops for rest and feed have to be made of about twelve hours each. On this trip four stops were made in the manner above stated.

The testimony further shows that when the sheep left Soda Springs the average weight of the lambs was seventy-two pounds, that of the ewes about 115 pounds, and of the wethers about 105 pounds a head. "When they arrived at [158]*158Ornaba tbe average weight of tbe lambs was 61 1-2 pounds, of tbe ewes ninety-three pounds, and of tbe wethers eighty-nine pounds a bead; tbat the normal shrinkage in shipping sheepi of the kind in question, for tbe distance named, is from four to six pounds a bead. It further appears tbat, owing to tbe delay in transportation, tbe sheep could not be carried to Chicago, but bad to be marketed at Omaha, where plaintiff’s lambs were sold for $3.83, the wethers for $4.88, and the ewes for $3.32 a bead. Tbe average price for Mr. Gorton’s lambs was $3.15 a bead. The evidence also tended to show that if tbe sheep bad been transported with reasonable dispatch, and in tbe usual time required for tbe distance traveled, tbe snowstorm at Sidney would not have been encountered, and tbat there would have been adequate feed and accommodation for tbe sheep farther east, and tbat tbe price of mutton derived from sheep which bad suffered excessive shrinkage was twenty-five cents less a hundred than for tbe mutton tbat would have been produced from sheep- such as plaintiffs’ would have been if they had been transported in the usual time, and had received proper feed and treatment while in transit; tbat plaintiffs were compelled to expend the sum of $204 for extra feed, which was required for tbe sheep by reason of tbe delay in transportation, and tbat tbe loss and damage to plaintiff's, caused by reason of tbe matters aforesaid, amounted, for both causes of action, with legal' interest, to the sum of $4,536.28.

We remark'here tbat tbe evidence of tbe experts, with respect to the effect tbat tbe excessive shrinkage of tbe sheep produced on tbe mutton for food, and as to tbe effect it bad on tbe price, was admitted over tbe objections of tbe de-_ fendants. Tbe defendants offered no evidence in their behalf, and when tbe plaintiffs rested, tbe court directed tbe jury to find for the defendant Oregon Short Line Railway Company, and submitted, the case to the jury as against tbe defendant Union Pacific Railway Company only. Tbe jury found for tbe plaintiffs, for tbe full amount stated above, against tbe Union Pacific Railway Company. Tbe court entered judgment on this verdict, and said company appeals, [159]*159mating tbe Oregon Short Line itailway Company a party in this court. Tbe Union Pacific Pailway Company will hereafter be designated as appellant where that company is referred to. Of the errors assigned we shall discuss only such as are deemed material.

The first alleged error relates to certain depositions which were offered by plaintiffs, and admitted over the objections of the defendants.

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Bluebook (online)
96 P. 1019, 34 Utah 152, 1908 Utah LEXIS 47, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/groot-v-oregon-short-line-r-utah-1908.