Mason v. Seaboard Air Line Railway Co.

159 N.C. 183
CourtSupreme Court of North Carolina
DecidedMay 28, 1912
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 159 N.C. 183 (Mason v. Seaboard Air Line Railway Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mason v. Seaboard Air Line Railway Co., 159 N.C. 183 (N.C. 1912).

Opinions

Brown, J.

The question presented by tbis appeal and raised by the several assignments of error is whether the plaintiff was a passenger upon the defendant’s train and unlawfully ejected. It is admitted that he was ejected'by the conductor under direct ord ;rs from the authorities of the defendant, and it is not contended that there is any evidence that the said ejection was accompanied with undue force. There is no evidence of rudeness, insult, or other unnecessary force used in expelling the plaintiff from the train. The facts are practically undisputed.

The plaintiff purchased of the defendant a mileage book at the rate of two cents per mile. He signed his name to the contract contained in it. On 14 April, 1910, he was a passenger from Charlotte to Ellenboro on the defendant’s road. He had presented his mileage book to the agent at Charlotte, who pulled the proper number of coupons to cover the distance, and gave him the exchange ticket. On his trip he exhibited both the. mileage book and the ticket to the conductor and completed his journey. On the return trip, the same afternoon, he presented his mileage book to the agent, who pulled his mileage and gave him the usual exchange ticket. When the conductor asked him for his ticket, he handed him the exchange ticket, and upon being asked for his mileage book in order that the conductor might compare the exchange ticket with the book, the plaintiff refused to exhibit his book, but stated to the conductor that he had it in his vest pocket, and repeatedly declined to -let the conductor see it.

The evidence of the plaintiff itself discloses that the conductor time and again requested him to show his mileage book, telling him the exchange ticket was not good for passage without it, and that he would be compelled to put him off. The conductor wired the general passenger agent for instructions, and received a reply ordering him to put the plaintiff off the train if he refused to comply with the conditions of his mileage book and exhibit it to the conductor in connection with the exchange [186]*186ticket. The conductor showed this message to the plaintiff, who still refused to show his mileage book, although he had it in his vest pocket.

Whereupon the conductor put the plaintiff off the train at the depot in Lincolnton. The plaintiff hired a vehicle, drove to Gastonia, and came over to Charlotte on another road, reaching there three hours later than he would have done had he remained on the defendant’s train.

The court charged the jury, in effect, that if they believed the evidence in the ease, the plaintiff was not a passenger on the defendant’s train, and therefore was not entitled to recover.

In considering this question it is well to bear in mind that the rate fixed by law for the sale of tickets upon common carriers is two and a half cents per mile, while miléage books are voluntarily sold by the railroad companies at the rate of two cents per mile.

It should also be borne in mind that the Legislature has no power to require the railroads to sell mileage books at a less rate than that fixed for ordinary tickets. This has been settled finally by the Supreme Court of the United States in Lake Shore Ry. v. Smith, 113 U. S., 684; and to the same effect are the decisions of the State courts of Virginia, New York, and others Anderson v. R. R., 7 L. R. A. (N. S.), 1086; Beardesly v. R. R., N. Y. (56 N. E.), 488.

So it must be conceded that the mileage book is a special .contract of carriage between the carrier and the passenger, signed by the passenger, and made in consideration of a reduced rate of transportation, voluntarily granted by the railroad in consideration of the quantity of transportation purchased. Under such conditions the parties to the contract can incorporate in it such terms and conditions as they have mutually agreed upon.

In respect to such contracts it may, therefore, be stated as a general rule that the passenger is entitled only to those rights which the ticket confers, and is bound himself to perform the obligations which the ticket imposes upon him. Hutchison on Carriers, sec. 1053, where the author cites a great array of cases from the Federal and State courts in support of his text.

In discussing a case similar to this, the Supreme Court of [187]*187Georgia says: “Tbe plaintiff paid a special fare under a special contract. Tbe defendant agreed that tbe plaintiff might travel for a fare wbieb is not tbe full fare tbe law allowed, and tbe defendant bad a 'right to impose such conditions as they saw fit.” To tbe same effect is Bitterman v. R. R., 207 U. S. (52 Law Ed.), 171; Mosher v. R. R., 127 U. S., 390; Boylan v. R. R., 132 U. S., 146; Watson v. R. R., 49 L. R. A., 454.

Tbe consensus of all tbe authorities, without a single exception so far as we have been, able to find, is that by accepting such a contract at a reduced rate when be has tbe opportunity to purchase tbe usual and ordinary ticket, tbe passenger enters into a contract with tbe carrier- different from that implied by law upon tbe purchaser of an ordinary ticket at full rate of fare. Tbe purchaser is bound in such cases by tbe terms of tbe contract, and is entitled to its advantages of reduced fare.

Tbe right of common carriers to attach special conditions and limitations to tickets issued at reduced rates seems to have been settled by tbe decisions of this Court. McRae v. R. R., 88 N. C., 526; Pickens v. R. R., 104 N. C., 312.

Tbe validity of this mileage contract was passed upon and upheld by this Court in an opinion by Mr. Justice Hoke in Harvey v. R. R., 153 N. C., 567, in which it is held that “A railroad mileage book is a contract of carriage with tbe purchaser or lawful bolder, subject to certain restrictive stipulations, for tbe wrongful breach of which tbe bolder may be expelled from tbe company’s train.” This case is cited and approved in Dorsett v. R. R., at tbe last term of this Court, 158 N. C., 441. In both of these cases tbe railroad companies were held liable for violation of this very contract.

These identical • questions have also been recently passed upon in Desportes v. R. R. (S. C.), 69 S. E., 148; Perry v. R. R. (Ga.), 70 S. E., 1122; R. R. v. Evans (Ind.), 82 S. E., 773; R. R. v. Desauseur (Ga.), 42 S. E., 479; Harris v. R. R. (N. J.), 72 Atl., 50.

It is immaterial whether tbe plaintiff read this ticket or not, for be knew of its conditions and complied with them on bis trip in tbe morning. It was bis own folly that be refused will[188]*188fully and unnecessarily to comply witb tbem on bis return in tbe afternoon. Tbe plaintiff admitted tbat be bad bis mileage book in bis vest pocket, and boastingly refused to. produce it. French v. Trans. Co. (Mass.), 85 N. E., 424; Reed v. R. R. (Tex.), 50 S. W., 432.

- Assuming, for tbe sake of tbe argument only, tbat we bave tbe right, to pass upon tbe reasonableness of sueb regulation, we are -unable to see any great hardship imposed upon a passenger who desires to save a half cent per mile in traveling to require him to produce bis mileage book in connection witb tbe exchange ticket.

It is a well-known fact tbat tbe last General Assembly thoroughly investigated this question, and refused to interfere, even if it bad tbe power. This regulation is devised to prevent impositions upon tbe railroad companies.

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Bluebook (online)
159 N.C. 183, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mason-v-seaboard-air-line-railway-co-nc-1912.