Jones v. Marshall-Wells Co.

208 P. 768, 104 Or. 388, 1922 Ore. LEXIS 28
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 18, 1922
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 208 P. 768 (Jones v. Marshall-Wells Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jones v. Marshall-Wells Co., 208 P. 768, 104 Or. 388, 1922 Ore. LEXIS 28 (Or. 1922).

Opinion

BURNETT, C. J.

The plaintiff claims to have had a contract with the defendant in writing whereby the latter agreed to sell and deliver to the former within sixty days after February 1, 1918, at Chico, California, 3,000 bundles of 16-gauge 7-foot 6-inch cross-head bale ties at $1.10 per bundle, and 500 bundles of 15-gauge wire ties of the same length and style at $1.27 per bundle, all f. o. b. Peoria, Illinois, and the plaintiff agreed to purchase said merchandise at the terms mentioned, but that the defendant repudiated the contract and failed and refused to deliver the ties in accordance therewith, contrary to plaintiff’s repeated demands for the same. Averring that he had performed all of the conditions on his part to be performed and that, on account of the defendant’s failure to perform, he was compelled to purchase the merchandise in open market at a higher price, the plaintiff claims damages in the sum of $1,067.34. It is averred in substance in the complaint that the contract was made with one Herb Arens, the agent of the defendant.

[390]*390The answer admits that Arens was employed by the defendant as a salesman, bnt the remainder of the complaint respecting him and his alleged authority is denied. All the rest of the complaint is traversed except the conventional character of the parties.

Affirmatively the answer states in substance that Arens was employed by the defendant as a traveling salesman only, his authority being limited to the solicitation of orders from customers and submitting the same to the defendant for its acceptance or rejection, and that he had no authority whatever to contract for the sale of goods for or on behalf of the defendant.

It is conceded that the transaction upon which the plaintiff relies took place in the State of California, and that at the time thereof the law of that state applicable in such transactions was as follows:

“In the following cases the agreement is invalid, unless the same or some note or memorandum thereof be' in writing, and subscribed by the party charged, or by his agent. Evidence, therefore, of the agreement, cannot be received without the writing or secondary evidence of its contents: * * 4. An agreement for the sale of goods, chattels, or things in action, at a price not less than two hundred dollars, unless the buyer accepts or receives part of such goods and chattels or the evidences, or some of them, of such things in action, or pays at the time some part of the purchase money. * * >> Statutes and Amendments to the Codes of California, 1907, Chapter 291.

The answer negatives all of the exceptions noted under subdivision 4, supra, and relies upon the quoted California statute as an element of defense.

[391]*391The reply admits that the enactment was in operation in the State of California at the time mentioned and that the contract was made there.

Aside from the testimony about the oral declarations of Arens, the transaction of the parties rests entirely in correspondence. It appears that Arens was a salesman for the defendant and traveled in northern California.' He called upon the plaintiff at his place of business and solicited him to buy some bale ties. It may be remarked in passing that according to the testimony of the plaintiff, such ties are at least of two kinds: one is a plain wire with a loop twisted in one end. Another kind has a loop at one end, as stated, but at the other end it is fashioned into a hook and the whole is known as a cross-head bale tie. Quoting the plaintiff, “they are sold at a higher price than the single loop.” There are also different sizes of wire used in the manufacture of such articles and they are of various lengths but the length is not here involved. Arens quoted prices for 16-gauge wire cross-head bale ties to the plaintiff and at the latter’s request addressed to the defendant at Portland, Oregon, under date of January 30, 1918, the following telegram:

“Telegraph me care Parker hardware store a price on seven-foot six-inch sixteen g’auge wire cross-head bale ties.
[ Signed] Herb Arens. ’ ’

In response to this telegram, on the same date the defendant telegraphed to Arens at Chico, California, as follows:

“Quote one dollar and ten cents per bundle on seven-foot six-inch ties f. o. b. Peoria, Illinois, Shipment in pool cars.
“[Signed] Marshall-Wells Company.”

[392]*392One telegram in the series appears to have been lost, but tbe substance of tbe testimony is that tbe plaintiff required Arens to telegraph tbe defendant for a guaranty of delivery of tbe goods at Chico, California, by April 1, 1918. The defendant answered on February 1, 1918, by telegram addressed to Arens at Chico:

“Can guarantee shipment car bale ties April first, but cannot guarantee arrival as we do not control transportation lines.”

Tbe next document, as quoted in tbe plaintiff’s brief, is as follows:

“Marshall-Wells Company.
Ship to James H. Jones & Co.
At Chico, Calif.
How ship — Freight from Peoria, HI.
Terms: 60-2-10 from date of ship. When: Not later than April 1st.
3000 bundles 16 gauge 7 foot 6 inch cross bead bale ties $1.10, f. o. b. Peoria, 111.
500 bundles 15 gauge 7 foot 6 inch cross bead bale ties $1.27 f. o. b. Peoria, 111.”

It is in evidence and it is tbe admitted vital element of tbe case that tbe defendant refused to accept this order or to ship tbe goods described therein. Tbe plaintiff counts on that paper in connection with tbe telegrams as a contract of tbe defendant satisfying tbe lex loci contractus and binding tbe defendant to deliver tbe ties, while tbe contention of tbe latter is diametrically opposed. On cross-examination tbe plaintiff admitted that on February 5th be wrote to tbe defendant that be bad given its agent, Mr. Arens, an order for cross-bead bale ties, 3,000 bundles No. 16 and 500 bundles No. 15 wire, for shipment April 1, 1918, and also stated in the letter:

[393]*393“We are requested by Mr. Arens to communicate with you to get your acceptance of the order with guaranty of shipment on or before date stated. We now have your wire under date of February 1, 1918, as follows [quoting the telegram last above mentioned, and continuing the letter]. This is to confirm the order. We would now request your formal acceptance with specifications as stated, the same for our files, and oblige.”

The plaintiff also admits receiving a letter from the defendant dated February 8, 1918, in which it is said:

“Under the circumstances we are unable to accept your order unless it would be for the single loop bale ties.”

At the close of the plaintiff’s case, on motion of the defendant, the court entered a judgment of nonsuit, from which the plaintiff appealed.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

B & D Investment Corp. v. Petticord
617 P.2d 276 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1980)
Wagner v. Rainier Manufacturing Co.
371 P.2d 274 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1962)
Start v. Shell Oil Co.
273 P.2d 225 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1954)
Webb v. Woods
1936 OK 259 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1936)
Held v. Puget Sound & Alaska Powder Co.
295 P. 969 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1931)
Ivy Ramsey v. Wellington Co.
235 P. 297 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1925)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
208 P. 768, 104 Or. 388, 1922 Ore. LEXIS 28, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jones-v-marshall-wells-co-or-1922.