Hiram Ricker & Sons v. Portland & Rumford Falls Railway

38 A. 338, 90 Me. 395, 1897 Me. LEXIS 98
CourtSupreme Judicial Court of Maine
DecidedJune 2, 1897
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 38 A. 338 (Hiram Ricker & Sons v. Portland & Rumford Falls Railway) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Judicial Court of Maine primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hiram Ricker & Sons v. Portland & Rumford Falls Railway, 38 A. 338, 90 Me. 395, 1897 Me. LEXIS 98 (Me. 1897).

Opinion

Strout, J.

Bill in equity praying an injunction against the use by defendant of the words “Poland Springs” and “Poland Springs [399]*399Junction” to designate two stations upon its road. Answer was filed, which contained, as permitted by our practice, a demurrer. Either party coiild then set the cause for hearing on the demurrer alone, before replication filed. But complainant filed replication to the answer. After that, complainant only could set the cause for hearing before the lapse of sixty days, within which time testimony could be taken. It. S., c. 77, § 17, as amended by c. 156, of laws of 1893 ; Equity Rule 22.

This cause was set down for hearing generally, and not specifically on the demurrer, after replication filed, and before the expiration of sixty days after issue joined. In the absence o£ agreement of parties, this could be done by complainant alone. The effect of this proceeding was to waive the replication, and set the cause for hearing on bill, answer and demurrer, the answer to be taken as true. Upon such hearing, the bill, answer and demurrer were all to be passed upon by the court. Dascomb v. Marston, 80 Maine, 230. Hearing was had by a single justice, and by him the demurrer was sustained and the bill dismissed. The case conies here upon appeal from that decision and exceptions to the ruling. The appeal vacated the decree below. And the cause would now regularly be heard by this court upon the bill, the answer taken as true, and the demurrer contained in the answer; but as counsel have argued the demurrer alone, we confine our opinion to it.

The complainant owns a tract of land in Poland, upon which are two hotels; one known as the “Mansion House,” and the other as the “Poland Spring House,” with accommodations for over five hundred people in both houses. The bill alleges that upon said tract of land there is “ a spring of water known as the Poland Spring, which water is of great medicinal and commercial value and has been for upwards of thirty years. That it is widely sold throughout the United States and foreign countries.” “That it is of great value, both because of the patronage which it draws to said hotels, and because of its wide sale.” That it has been for many years sold “ under the name of Poland Spring water or Poland water, natural mineral spring water;” and that said name is of great value “as a trade-mark;” and that “by reason of the [400]*400reputation of the water from said spring and of the popularity and reputation of said hotels,” the tract of land has been for many years and still is known as “Poland Spring” or “Poland Springs.”

The defendant operates a railroad running from Mechanic Falls to a point on the Maine Central railroad about three miles east of Danville Junction, and has upon its line a station at a point nearest to complainant’s property, and about two miles distant therefrom, which is named and called “Poland Springs;” and at its junction with the Maine Central, it has a station called “Poland Springs Junction.” The bill alleges that, at or near said station named “ Poland Springs,” there is no house, shop or settlement requiring the existence of said station.”

Complainants allege that the use of the words, “Poland Springs,” by defendant “to designate its station,” endangers their trade-mark in the name of “Poland Spring water;” and that water shipped from defendant’s station may be marked “Poland Spring water,” or “water from Poland Spring,” and sold in competition with complainants’ water. There is no allegation in the bill that this has been done, or is threatened to be done, by the defendant or any one else.

It may be conceded that the complainants have a trade-mark, as claimed; but it has not been infringed upon, nor threatened to be infringed upon, by the defendant. Defendant is a railroad company, chartered for the transportation of persons and merchandise, as a common carrier, and only for that. It would be ultra vires for it to enter upon the business of bottling, shipping and selling water, or to enter into any commercial birsiness, not necessary and incident to its business of common carrier. Until it does, or threatens to do this, the complainants are not injured, and have no cause for an injunction upon that ground. The cases cited by the learned counsel for complainants in his very able and instructive argument, in relation to trade-marks, have no application to the facts of this case.

Complainants allege that the name “ Poland Springs,” given to defendant’s station nearest complainants’, property, tends to deceive the public, and induce the belief that the station is at the com[401]*401plainants’ hotel property. It is matter of common knowledge that the stopping places on railways are stations upon the road. The names given to such places indicate only that passengers, destined for the place named, are to alight at that station, as the nearest or most direct point from which to reach their destination. The word “station” is not added to the name, because it is implied from the universal understanding of railway travelers. In many instances the station is named for a town, which may be several miles distant from the station. It is universally understood to be the station, which may be either at the place sought, or the nearest approach to it from the railway. Naming this station “ Poland Springs,” does not mean, and probably no railway traveler, familiar with the practice of naming stations on railways, ever supposed it meant, the “Poland Spring hotel,” or the Poland Spring property. It appeared to be admitted at the arguments, that if defendant had added the word “station” to that of “Poland Springs,” there would have been no objection. But the word station is so universally implied, that it would be superfluous to add it. Every regular stopping place of a railway train, where it receives or leaves passengers, is a station, and universally so understood.

The station is called “Poland Springs,” in the plural. The trade-mark claimed by complainants, is “Poland Spring,” indicating one only. The station name indicates the nearest approach by that railway to the mineral springs in Poland, not to any particular one.

The bill alleges that defendant has contracted with the Maine Central and Boston and Maine railroads, to sell tickets with coupons marked “Poland Springs;” and that the holders intending to visit complainants’ “hotel property” are misled thereby to suppose they are to be transported to complainants’ “hotel property;” and the complainant “ is greatly and peculiarly injured in its said' stage line and in its said hotel and spring water properties.” It is not claimed that defendant owns or manages any hotel, or threatens to do so, in competition with complainants’ hotels.

It would seem that a railroad, which carried guests four miles nearer complainants’ hotels than any other railroad, would benefit [402]*402the hotels by tending to increase their patronage, as travelers are apt to seek the quickest and easiest transportation to their destination.

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Bluebook (online)
38 A. 338, 90 Me. 395, 1897 Me. LEXIS 98, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hiram-ricker-sons-v-portland-rumford-falls-railway-me-1897.