Karwick v. Pickands

137 N.W. 219, 171 Mich. 463, 1912 Mich. LEXIS 652
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 22, 1912
DocketDocket No. 5
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 137 N.W. 219 (Karwick v. Pickands) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Karwick v. Pickands, 137 N.W. 219, 171 Mich. 463, 1912 Mich. LEXIS 652 (Mich. 1912).

Opinion

Stone, J.

The plaintiff, who was a clothing merchant, and had also for about 15 years been engaged in lumbering, on July 14, 1909, had a quantity of logs and posts in Grace Harbor, about 30 miles from Cheboygan, which he desired to have towed to the Lakeside mill near Cheboygan for manufacture. Plaintiff and defendant on the day aforesaid entered into a parol contract relative to the towing, or assisting in the towing of these logs and posts, the exact nature of which contract is in dispute. The plaintiff in his declaration alleged: That in andby the contract the defendant—

“ Agreed to tow said logs and posts from the said point where they were then situated, to wit, on the shore of Lake Huron, to the city of Cheboygan, and that, under and by virtue of the terms of said contract, the said defendant then and there agreed to furnish a tug and crew to operate the same for the purpose of towing said logs and posts as hereinbefore mentioned, and also to furnish for the purpose of towing said logs and posts while they were being towed from the shore of Lake Hu[465]*465ron to the city of Cheboygan as aforesaid sufficient boom sticks to make a double wrap around said logs and posts, it being then and there represented by said defendant, her agents and servants, that 120 of said boom sticks would be sufficient for said purpose, the said defendant then and there agreeing to furnish at least 120 boom sticks for said purpose as hereinbefore set forth, and it was also agreed by said defendant, her agents and servants, that said boom sticks so to be furnished as aforesaid would be of good quality and of sufficient size and strength for the intended use thereof. That said plaintiff, in consideration of the covenants and agreements on the part of said defendant as hereinbefore mentioned, agreed to pay said defendant the sum of $25 for each 12 hours the said logs and posts were being towed as aforesaid, and $25 for each 24 hours during the time while the defendant was performing the said contract, other than the actual towing, and the sum of $10 for each 12 hours the said boom sticks were used in the towing of said logs and posts as aforesaid. That thereafter, and on, to wit, the 22d day of July aforesaid, the said defendant, under and by virtue of the terms of said contract, proceeded with her said tug to the point on the shore of Lake Huron where the said logs and posts were located, and that said plaintiff had placed his logs and posts in the water at said point, and that defendant, her agents and servants, then and there violated the terms of said contract, in that she did not cause to be placed around the logs and posts of said plaintiff a sufficient quantity of boom sticks to secure their safe conveyance to the port of Cheboygan, and that said defendant, instead of stringing around the raft of plaintiff a double wrap, then and there placed around said logs and posts a single wrap; and that under and by virtue of the terms of said contract it was the duty of said defendant to have placed around the logs and posts of said plaintiff at least 120 boom sticks, and that defendant also made default in that regard, in that she caused to be placed only 91 boom sticks around said logs and posts, and that the boom sticks so furnished as aforesaid were old and rotten, and insufficient to properly protect the property of said plaintiff in towing same from the point aforesaid to the city of Cheboygan, and that in utter disregard of the rights of said plaintiff, in that an insufficient number of boom sticks were furnished, and in that said boom sticks [466]*466were of insufficient size and strength, said defendant, her agents and servants, with said tug proceeded to tow the said logs and posts upon the waters of Lake Huron to the city of Cheboygan aforesaid. Plaintiff further alleges that thereafter, and on, to wit, the night of July 22, 1909, and while said logs and posts were so being rafted and towed as aforesaid, the said raft broke up by reason of defendant’s neglect to perform her said contract as herein-before mentioned in this regard, that she failed to furnish a sufficient amount of boom sticks, and that the boom sticks so furnished were of insufficient size and strength, and that, by reason thereof, the said logs and posts became scattered upon the waters of Lake Huron and shores, and that defendant, her agents and servants, then and there neglected and refused to notify plaintiff that his said property had been so scattered and lost as aforesaid. And said defendant, her agents and servants, made no attempt to recover plaintiff’s said logs and posts as it was her duty then and there to do. And plaintiff suffered great loss, in that he was compelled to employ a large number of men to collect the said logs and posts as aforesaid, and plaintiff then and there suffered great loss in that 2,500 of said logs and posts could not be found, and plaintiff lost them forever. And plaintiff in recovering his said logs was then and there compelled to lay out and did lay out and expend large sums of money by reason of defendant’s action as hereinbefore mentioned, to plaintiff’s great damage of $2,000, and therefore he brings suit.”

Under the plea of the general issue the defendant gave notice, among other things, that she would show that all of the said work done and services rendered by her were under the direction and control of said plaintiff, and as he directed, and that the number of boom sticks furnished were the same as ordered and demanded by the plaintiff.

Upon the trial the testimony on the part of the plaintiff tended to support his declaration as to the terms of the contract, except that plaintiff testified that defendant agreed to furnish 125 boom sticks instead of 120, as alleged. The testimony on the part of the defendant tended to show that she agreed to furnish the use of her tug Clayt and boom sticks at $25 per day for the tug for lying time, and $50 per day for the tug when pulling, [467]*467and $10 per day of 24 hours for the use of boom sticks, and that plaintiff agreed to pay $2 per day for 25 boom sticks to be used by him in holding the logs at the mill.

Defendant denied, and the testimony in her behalf tended to support her denial, that she ever agreed to furnish any particular number of boom sticks, or boom sticks of any particular size or quality, but that plaintiff was to have such and so many boom sticks as he might select, and that plaintiff through his authorized employé, to wit, one Burnell, his boomman, examined and selected the boom sticks to be taken, and that these boom sticks were taken. Defendant also offered testimony tending to show that the plaintiff represented to defendant that he had from 200,000 to 225,000 feet of logs to be towed, while the plaintiff claimed that he represented that he had 800,000 feet. It also appeared without dispute that the logs were much smaller than the average run, there being about 40 to the thousand feet, and that an average run would be about 20 to the thousand feet, and that, on that account, it would require a great many mpre booms to enclose them than would be required for logs of the average size, and defendant claimed that the fact, of the size of the logs was not disclosed to her in making the contract. There is no question that plaintiff employed the boomman, Burnell, and paid him, and introduced him to the captain of defendant’s tug as his head boomman, before the booms were selected or the work started. Burnell and another boomman, also employed by the plaintiff, went down with the booms. Plaintiff also employed another tug, the Kane, to assist, the defendant.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
137 N.W. 219, 171 Mich. 463, 1912 Mich. LEXIS 652, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/karwick-v-pickands-mich-1912.