Hughes Lumber Co. v. Madisonville Saw & Planing Mill

4 La. App. 662
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJuly 15, 1926
DocketNo. 9429
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 4 La. App. 662 (Hughes Lumber Co. v. Madisonville Saw & Planing Mill) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hughes Lumber Co. v. Madisonville Saw & Planing Mill, 4 La. App. 662 (La. Ct. App. 1926).

Opinion

MAY, Judge

ad hoc. This is a suit by the Hughes Lumber Company, a Mississippi corporation, against Dendinger, Inc., owner and operator of the Madisonville Saw & Planing Mill.

The claim is for five hundred and forty-three dollars, ninety-five cents ($543.95), being the contract price of certain lumber, purchased by defendant from plaintiff.

On September 27, 1920, defendant sold to the Lucas E. Moore Stave Company, Inc., of New Orleans, a carload of lumber, at the price of forty dollars ($40.00) per thousand feet, “F.O.B. New Orleans,” “Ship at once”.

On or about October- 19, 1920, W. L. Tomlin, an employe of the defendant company, at a fixed salary, placed an order with S. L. Dawson, doing business as the Dawson Lumber Company, of Meridian, Mississippi, for the lumbqr in question, at .tlje price of .twenty-three, -dollars ($23.00) per thousand feet, F.O.B. car at point of [663]*663shipment. Time of shipment to be “prompt".

On October 20,' 1920, Dawson ordered from plaintiff, the requisite lumber, at twenty-three dollars and fifty cents ($23.50) per thousand feet, E.O.B. mill, with instructions to ship to C. R. Phillips, at Canandaigua, N. Y., with invoice to Mádisonville Saw & Planing Mill, New Orleans. This order from Dawson to plaintiff, contains the notation, that it is in confirmation of purchase, and requests plaintiff to rush shipment, and to “ship this week sure”, and a further notation that Dawson’s commission is one dollar ($1.00) per thousand feet. The following appears printed upon the order: “Acknowledge receipt of this order direct to customer, which will be confirmed direct to you.” Accompanying the order, is a letter from Dawson, of even date, calling attention to the fact that “We have increased our price of twenty-three dollars ($23.00) to twenty-three dollars and fifty cents ($23.50), and have charged you one dollar ($1.00) per thousand commission.

On the same day, Dawson wrote defendant as follows:

“We are enclosing herewith copy of our order No. 1595 placed with the Hughes Lumber Company, of this city, and have just wired you car number as per enclosed confirmation.
“You will note that we have increased your price fifty cents (50c) as this will come from a mill that takes a two cents (2c) less rate than from here.”

On the same, day, Dawson wrote plaintiff:

“Kindly refer to our order for the account of Mádisonville Saw & Planing Mill, of New Orleans, and change shipping instructions to read as follows:
“Lucas E. Moore Stave Company,
“New Orleans, .La.”

On October 22, defendant wired to plaintiff, advising of Dawson’s error in shipping instructions, and asked for shipment to Lucas E. Moore Stave Company.

Immediately upon receipt of the above wire, plaintiff wrote defendant, stating that Dawson had already discovered the error in shipping instructions, and that plaintiff was advising its mill, as to the necessary change, and continues, “They were just ready to begin loading, so everything will' be all right, and shipping papers will be forwarded with the least possible delay.”

In his testimony, Mr. Hughes, president of the plaintiff company, says that when he received the original order from Dawson, for New York shipment, he arranged for loading into a Pennsylvania car, and-that when he received notice from Dawson to hold for further shipping instructions, he telephoned his mill at DeKalb, Mississippi, to hol.d shipment, and the mill thereupon applied the- Pennsylvania car on another order.

Mr. Hughes says further that, at that time,' cars were very scarce, and that “many railroads called for home routing”, .and that it might be for that reason that the shipping clerk (now dead) could not use the Pennsylvania car, and that he finally had to order an. L. & N. ear, in which to. make the New Orleans shipment, and that a car could not be procured on an instant’s notice.

On October 22, 1920, defendant sent plaintiff, a confirmation of the order, at the price of twenty-three dollars and fifty (Cent's ($23.50), per thousand feet,' and for. shipment to Lucas E. Moore Stave Company, New Orleans. .

On November 1, 1920, plaintiff shipped the lumber, consigned to Lucas E. Moore Stave Company,- and at the same .time, [664]*664mailed to the defendant an invoice, with bill of lading attached.

On November 3, 1920, defendant sent bill of lading with defendant’s invoice to Lucas E. Moore Stave Company.

On November 4, 1920, Lucas E. Moore Stave Company, wrote defendant acknowledging receipt of bill of lading covering shipment in L. & N. car 4875, and stated, “We wrote you yesterday that owing to the delay in filling this order, we decided to have same cancelled. Last week when we ’phoned you, stating that if you did not fill the order immediately, that we would cancel it right then and there, you gave us a car number, Erie 98375, which you stated you were loading that day and would go forward the following day. We repeatedly requested you to furnish us with bill of lading covering shipment of this car, but to no avail. From the papers just furnished us, it is very clear to us that the above car mentioned never was intended to be loaded for us, and that you had not started, shipment forward. We are returning to you your invoice and bill of lading, and we will not accept this car of lumber, having purchased our requirements elsewhere”.

On November .3, 1920, Dawson wrote plaintiff, asking for status of the order; stating that it was given with the distinct understanding, that shipment would be made immediately; that fifteen days had elapsed; that defendant had just advised the writer that unless defendant was immediately furnished with invoice and bill of lading, the stave company would buy on the local market, and adding that if bill of lading had not already gone forward, to let defendant have same not later than Thursday, November 4.

On November 13, 1920, defendant wired plaintiff, cancelling order and plaintiff replied on November 15, 1920, that it had intended loading in Pennsylvania car 83563, but was advised to hold for shipping instructions; that mill applied above car on another order and loaded in L. & N. car; that plaintiff was not to blame and insisted that shipment be accepted.

On November 16, 1920, defendant wrote plaintiff, that the shipment had been definitely refused by the Lucas E. Moore Stave Company, on account of erroneous car number given, and that defendant would have to unload the lumber and make the best possible disposition of it.

On February 5, 1921, defendant wrote plaintiff, again referring to the fact that the lumber had been refused by Lucas E. Moore Stave Company because of failure to ship in car number given by plaintiff, and stating that it was necessary, after some demurrage had accrued, to have the car unloaded in the defendant’s yard, where it was still intact. Defendant wrote further, that it had referred the matter to the Lumbermen’s Credit Association for an opinion, and that plaintiff would be advised, if Lucas E. Moore Stave Company was forced to pay for the shipment, adding “If so, we will of course pay you”.

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Bluebook (online)
4 La. App. 662, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hughes-lumber-co-v-madisonville-saw-planing-mill-lactapp-1926.