H. Herpolsheimer Co. v. Lincoln Traction Co.

147 N.W. 206, 96 Neb. 154, 1914 Neb. LEXIS 27
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedMay 4, 1914
DocketNo. 17,666
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 147 N.W. 206 (H. Herpolsheimer Co. v. Lincoln Traction Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
H. Herpolsheimer Co. v. Lincoln Traction Co., 147 N.W. 206, 96 Neb. 154, 1914 Neb. LEXIS 27 (Neb. 1914).

Opinions

Sedgwick, J.

Before the year 1905 the Lincoln Traction Company owned and was operating lines of street railway in the city of Lincoln, some of which lines extended outside of the corporate limits of the city. In that year the Citizens Railway Company was organized, and constructed and operated lines of street railway over other public streets of the city, some of the said lines also extending outside of the limits of the city. It constructed what is known, as “Loop No. 1” in the central part of the city, from the intersection of N and Twelfth streets, two blocks north to the intersection of Twelfth and P streets, thence one block west to Eleventh street, and thence south along Eleventh street to N street, and east on N street to the intersection of Twelfth street. Also a line from the intersection of N and Twelfth streets along N street to Twenty-ninth street, and one along Twelfth street from N street to South street, and thence east on South street to Twenty-sixth street. It also constructed several lines connected directly and indirectly with the said loop at the intersection of N and Twelfth streets. Afterwards, in 1909, the two companies were consolidated, and both properties taken over by the defendant, the Lincoln Traction Company. A corporation, known as the Citizens Interurban Railway Company, was organized by some, if not all, of the principal stockholders of the Citizens Railway Company. It built a road from the village of College View to the intersection of Twenty-sixth and South streets in. the city of [156]*156Lincoln. The Citizens Railway Company had for some time before the commencement of this action operated its cars over this line to and into the city of Lincoln over South and Twelfth streets. After the consolidation the defendant abandoned some parts of the said line formerly owned and operated by the Citizens Railway Company, and the plaintiff began this action in the district court for Lancaster county to enjoin the defendant, its officers and agents, “from ceasing to operate a line of street cars around said Loop No. 1 and over said Twelfth street to South street, and thence east to Twenty-sixth street, and thence over said ‘.High Line’ to the village of College View, and back and around said Loop No. 1,” and from “abandoning any of the lines of street cars and street car service which were owned and operated by said Citizens Company prior to the said alleged consolidation; that they may be required to forthwith operate said line of street cars from the intersection of N and Twelfth streets south on Twelfth street to South street, and thence east on South street to Twenty-sixth street, and thence over said ‘High Line’ to College View and back, and to give the same street car service that there was over said line on Twelfth street and to said village of College View and back that was given prior to said alleged consolidation; that defendant may be required to restore the street car service on all the lines which it has abandoned, and that it may be required to operate all of its cars around said Loop No. 1, and give the same service on said cars that was given and afforded by said Citizens Company prior to said alleged consolidation.” Seventeen citizens, who claimed to be interested in the Twelfth street line, and an organization, styled the Public Service League of Lincoln, united in a petition in intervention, alleging generally the interest of. each in the Twelfth street line, and alleging that the petitioners and many other citizens named in the petition “will be without remedy at law and will suffer irreparable damage should the prayer of plaintiff to this action be denied.” Afterwards other citizens joined in this petition in intervention. The prayer of the interveners was sub[157]*157stantially the same as to the Twelfth street line as the prayer of the petitioners. The defendant answered, admitting the allegations of the petition as to the organization of the various companies, and their construction and operation of the street car lines described in the petition, and the consolidation of the Citizens Railway Company and the Lincoln Traction Company, and denied generally the other allegations of the petition. The plaintiffs and the interveners filed replies to the answer of the defendant in the nature of general denials. The trial court made quite extensive findings of fact, and enjoined the defendant, its officers and agents, “from abandoning Loop No. 1 as herein described, and from abandoning the South Twelfth street line from Twelfth and N streets to South street, and thence east on South street to Twenty-sixth street, and from abandoning any of the lines formerly operated by the Citizens Railway Company now operated around Loop No. 1, and from changing the routing of the cars of said lines from the route over which they are now operated, and especially from routing any of said lines so as to remove the same from said Loop No. 1,” and “that the defendant do forthwith restore and operate the line of street cars from the intersection of N and Twelfth streets south on Twelfth street to South street, and thence east on South street to Twenty-sixth street, and thence over said High Line to College View and back, and give the same street car service over the south Twelfth street line and ‘High Line’ to said village of College View and back that was given by the Citizens Company over-said lines prior to the consolidation;” and “that the plaintiffs and interveners recover their costs in this action as taxed at $-.” The defendant has appealed.

The petition alleges that the plaintiff Henry Herpolsheimer is the owner of several lots in the city of Lincoln, located at the intersection of N and Twelfth streets, and that there is a large store building on these lots fronting on N and Twelfth streets, and that the plaintiff H. Herpolsheimer Company has occupied the building as a place for conducting a general merchandise business, and has, [158]*158at all times mentioned in the petition, carried a stock of merchandise in said building of the value of more than $100,000, and that, when the Citizens Railway Company was organized, at the request of that company the said Henry Herpolsheimer took 10 shares of stock therein and paid therefor $1,000; that; in consideration of the taking of said stock by the said Herpolsheimer, and for other considerations set out at large in the petition, the officers and promoters of the Citizens Railway Company assured the said Herpolsheimer “that there would be no change in the operation of cars over said Twelfth street from the intersection of N and Twelfth streets to and from said College View, or in the operation of cars over said Loop No. 1.” This contract is urged as one of the reasons for enjoining the defendant as prayed in the petition. The defendant, in the briefs, insists that the plaintiffs are not entitled to the injunction because the state railway commission has exclusive jurisdiction of the matters and things complained of in their petition.

The constitutional amendment of 1906 provides: “The powers and duties of such commission shall include the regulation of rates, service and general control of common carriers as the legislature may provide by law. But, in the absence of specific legislation, the commission shall exercise the powers and perform the duties enumerated in this provision.” Const., art. V, sec. 19a. The statute enacted pursuant thereto provides: “The commission shall have the power to regulate the rates and services of, and to exercise a general control over all railroads, * * * and all other common carriers.” Rev. St. 1913, sec. 6107.

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Related

Omaha & Council Bluffs Street Railway Co. v. City of Omaha
252 N.W. 407 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1934)
Lincoln Traction Co. v. Omaha, Lincoln & Beatrice Railway Co.
187 N.W. 790 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1922)
H. Herpolsheimer Co. v. Lincoln Traction Co.
149 N.W. 326 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1914)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
147 N.W. 206, 96 Neb. 154, 1914 Neb. LEXIS 27, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/h-herpolsheimer-co-v-lincoln-traction-co-neb-1914.