Nicomen Boom Co. v. North Shore Boom & Driving Co.

82 P. 412, 40 Wash. 315, 1905 Wash. LEXIS 982
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 30, 1905
DocketNo. 5336
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 82 P. 412 (Nicomen Boom Co. v. North Shore Boom & Driving Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nicomen Boom Co. v. North Shore Boom & Driving Co., 82 P. 412, 40 Wash. 315, 1905 Wash. LEXIS 982 (Wash. 1905).

Opinion

Hadley, J.

This is a contest between two boom companies, their booms being located near the mouth of Forth river, in Pacific county, Washington. The action is in equity, and was commenced by the Ficomen Boom Company for the purpose of restraining the defendant, the Forth Shore Boom & Driving Company, from constructing a boom upon a portion of the waters of said river, and within the limits of territory included in the plat filed by the plaintiff company, as required by law. Both companies are organized under the laws of this state; which authorize the organization of corporations for the purpose of catching, booming, sorting, rafting, and holding logs, lumber, or other timber products.

In April, 1900, being in due time after the organization of the plaintiff company, it caused to be filed, in the office of the secretary of state of the state of Washington, its plat and survey, showing so much of the shore lines and waters of Forth river, and lands contiguous thereto, as it proposed to appropriate under the laws of this state. Before beginning the construction of its boom, it submitted to the secretary of war of the United States a plan of its proposed improvements, and a plat of the territory to be occupied thereby, and was, by said war department, granted permission to construct a boom within the limits of said ' river covered by said plat of location. The territory designated by said plat of location embraces the shores of Forth river, which river is tributary to Willapa harbor, a bay leading into the Pacific Ocean, and the territory extends from near the mouth of the river, on both sides, for some distance up the stream. • The plaintiff thereupon acquired by purchase such upland and shore land, on the left side of said river reckoning down [322]*322stream, as was necessary for its use ini the premises, and promptly proceeded to erect boom" works along the left side of the river, bnt stopped short of the upper end of the territory covered by its plat of location. The boom was substantially constructed at a cost of about $16,000; and, from the time of its erection until this controversy arose, it was constantly operated as originally constructed.

While the plaintiff has done some work above, yet its boom has never been completed beyond, its rudder sheer, as originally built. The plaintiff has, however, always expected to extend the boom within the limits of said plat of location, as the demands of business might require, and some weeks before the commencement of this action it had ordered piling for the purpose of extending its boom, as originally constructed, about one thousand feet further up the river. Through some delay, for which plaintiff was not responsible, it did not have this piling upon the ground, and therefore did not commence the actual work of extending the boom until some days after the defendant had commenced to construct its boom, as hereinafter mentioned. It was estimated by the plaintiff that the output of logs on North river, for the season next following, would be largely in excess of the output for the previous year, and that, in such case, the enlargement of its boom would be necessary for the purpose of receiving and handling such increased output.

About this time, in August, 1903, the defendant company was organized, and it, also, filed its plat and survey in the office of the secretary of state, showing so much of the water and shore lines of North river, and land contiguous thereto, as it proposed to appropriate for its boom and driving purposes. It also claims that, before commencing to construct its boom, it secured from the war department of the United States permission to construct within its said location. The plat of location filed by the defendant in the office of the secretary of state covered, substantially, the part of the territory embraced in the plat of the plain[323]*323tiff lying above the upper end of the sheer boom constructed by plaintiff, as aforesaid. The defendant then proceeded to acquire uplands and tide lands within its plat of location, on the right side of the river, considered necessary for its use in the operation of its proposed boom, such lands being on the bank opposite to the side of the river occupied by the plaintiff’s boom as constructed. On September 4, 1903, the defendant began the driving of piles for the construction of its boom, and erected a line of dolphins within the limits of both said plats of location.

Thereupon this action was brought. An emergency restraining order was issued, and afterwards, upon notice, a temporary injunction was granted, pending final hearing of the action. It appears that the indemnity bond required by the court, under the last named in junctional order, was not given by plaintiff, and thereupon the defendant continued with its work of construction. At the time of the trial, the defendant had substantially completed the construction of its proposed boom.-

The boom of the defendant is so constructed that logs coming down the river, intended to reach the plaintiff’s boom, will necessarily enter the main boom of the defendant. The booms as proposed by the plaintiff and defendant cannot both be constructed. If the boom of the plaintiff should be extended up the river, the passage between its line of dolphins and the dolphins of defendant, on the other side of the stream, would be so narrow as to block navigation. Moreover, it would be impracticable to operate both booms under such circumstances. If the defendant is permitted to operate its boom, as constructed, the boom of plaintiff will receive only such timber from up the river as may escape from the boom of defendant, and such as may be transmitted through that boom to plaintiff.

The foregoing facts are practically undisputed in the case, as we are advised by the record and the findings of the court, and by such exceptions as were taken to the find[324]*324ings. Exceptions were taken to certain findings embodying facts not stated above, and to the refusal to make certain others, and on this appeal errors are assigned thereon. There is, however, no discussion in the brief in reference to these claims of error, and no particular evidence is pointed out in support thereof. We therefore believe we have substantially stated the controlling facts, and that they may be treated as undisputed. After an extended trial, and the consideration of much evidence;, the court entered judgment, denying the plaintiff’s application for an injunction, and dismissing the action. This appeal is from that judgment. Eor reasons hereinbefore stated, we shall not discuss such errors as have been assigned in relation to the court’s findings of facts, but shall confine ourselves to the matters discussed in the briefs, all of which involve the correctness of the conclusions of law and the judgment thereon.

Boom companies in this state are quasi-public corporations, having the power of eminent domain, required by law to file a map of location, and to perform booming services for all persons requesting the same. See, Bal. Oode, §§ 4378-4394. The provisions embodied within the above cited sections comprise the substance of two acts of the legislature passed, respectively, in the years 1890 and 1895. Section 4379 contains the following:

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Bluebook (online)
82 P. 412, 40 Wash. 315, 1905 Wash. LEXIS 982, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nicomen-boom-co-v-north-shore-boom-driving-co-wash-1905.