Northwestern Lumber Co. v. Cizen

196 F. 454, 116 C.C.A. 228, 1912 U.S. App. LEXIS 1508
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedMay 13, 1912
DocketNo. 2,051
StatusPublished

This text of 196 F. 454 (Northwestern Lumber Co. v. Cizen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Northwestern Lumber Co. v. Cizen, 196 F. 454, 116 C.C.A. 228, 1912 U.S. App. LEXIS 1508 (9th Cir. 1912).

Opinion

WOLVERTON, District Judge

(after stating the facts as above). Three contentions are relied upon by counsel for plaintiff in error for reversal of the judgment; First, that the court has not jurisdiction of [456]*456the cause, for that the action is by an alien, to wit, a subject of Austria, residing in the state of Washington, against a California corporation; second, that plaintiff failed to make a case on the evidence sufficient to be submitted to the jury; and, third, that by plaintiff’s employment he assumed the risk incident thereto; the danger being open and obvious.

[ 1 ] Answering the first contention, it may be true that the defendant had the right to be sued in the state of California, of which it was a citizen; but, if so, it was a right it might waive. The court having jurisdiction of the cause, the defendant’s general appearance when sued in a district of which it was not a resident, without pleading specially to the jurisdiction over its person, had the effect to waive such jurisdiction. This is evidently what defendant did, as no such plea appears anywhere in the record. Having waived jurisdiction, of its person, defendant is now amenable to the court in which it was sued. Katalla Co. v. Rones, 186 Fed. 30, 108 C. C. A. 132.

[2] The second question is based upon defendant’s motion for non-suit when plaintiff had rested his case, and the renewal of the motion when the testimony closed, both of which were denied by the court. A solution-of the question must be found in a review of the plaintiff’s evidence.

Plaintiff was an Austrian by birth, 26 years of age, and had been in this country 3 years and 8 months. He spoke and understood the English language imperfectly; an interpreter being required when his testimony was given. He had worked considerably around a sawmill, but generally in the yard, bearing off slabs and lumber. His first experience in operating any part of such a mill was when he was put to work at the jump saw by Mr. Carroll, the foreman, 16 days previous to the time he was hurt. Pie says that Carroll took him up and showed him how to cut the blocks off; that he (Carroll) cut four or five, and told the plaintiff to do the rest that way, and to pile them up on the other side. Then plaintiff’s testimony runs as follows:

“Q. What were you doing on the day you were hurt? A. I was cutting blocks in the same place until noon; that is, sometimes I was cutting and sometimes the other fellow.
“Q. Did you ever have anything to do before this time with the shingle saw or the chute where the saw is? A. Not with that one. Of course, the one I was working with I did, but the other one I never had anything to do.
“Q. Xou never had anything to do with the chute to the shingle saw; that is, the saw is what I am talking about? A. No; I never have.
“Q. How did you get hurt? A. X had just got through cutting blocks and working around that saw where I usually work, and the boss came to me and told me to go and clean out that shingle saw in the chute that was there.
“Q. Where were you when the boss told you to do that? A. I was standing up, looking, and he came up behind me- and took hold of my hand to show me like this [indicating], and told me to clean that saw.
“Q. What else did he tell you to do? A. He told me to clean all around there, and then he made a motion with his hand that - he was going down underneath.
''Q. Then what did you do? A. I stooped down to clean that, and in a minute or so the boss passed over me by my feet while I was cleaning it.
“Q. Where were you and how were you cleaning it? A. Here was the bulkhead, or wall, or partition, or something of that kind, an inclosure. There was a little narrow passage and on this side was the saw, and also a hole. Then I stooped down in this position as I showed you, on my knee, and put my hand in that hole, cleaning out the sawdust, and with the other hand I [457]*457whs on the floor, and through a little water or something my hand slipped, my right hand, and the left hand went up in the saw and got cut. * * *
“Q."\Vhat, if anything, did the foreman, Mr. Carroll, tell you about the dangers of the hole? A. He has not told me anything about any dangers, only he has whispered in my ear, and told me to clean the place.
-Q. What did he say about how to do the work and not get your hand in the saw? A. He has not said anyihing to me about it.
“Q. What did he say, if anything, about using a stick? A. He has not said anything to me regarding the stick.
“Q. Why didn’t you use a stick? A. I didn’t'know anything about it. I never saw a stick and did not know how to get at it. I never saw how it was worked before.
“Q. Did you ever clean out that chute before? A. No. sir.
"Q. Did you ever notice how it was cleaned out before? A. No, sir.
“Q. What position were you in when the foreman went by you at the chute? A. He just passed over me. Tt was narrow and he passed by my feet.
“Q. Where was your hand? What were yon doing at that time? A. At that lime I was cleaning right inside the pipe.
“Q. Did you have your hand and arm in the hole? A. Yes, sir; in the hole I had my hand.
“Q. What, if anything, did the foreman say to you then? A. He did not say anything to me. He looked tip this way and passed by me.
“Q. That is, you looked up at the foreman? A. I did not have my head up. I was stooped down and had my head around this way, and saw him pass by. I was afraid that the carriage running up there would hit mo in the head.
“Q. How far above your' head did the carriage run? A. I don’t know just exactly. 1 never worked there before.
“Q. Was the carriage running at that time? A. Yes, sir; ho was making shingles steady at that time.
“Q. How full, if any, was the chute with sawdust and stuff? A. I don’t, know just, how much was there, f know I was pulling it out with my hands, and the other hand slipped, and that; went up there and was caught. Before I went there, there was a lot of sawdust, often on the outside around there.
‘•Q. What do yon say you were doing with the sawdust at that time? A. I was pulling it out of the hole.
“Q. How long were you pulling it out of the hole before you were hurt? A. Oh, somewhere around two or three minutes, something like that, until I got the sawdust cleaned out.
“Q. How much of the sawdust had you got cleaned out when you got hurt? A. Oh. somewhere around about a sack or more.”

And on cross-examination:

"Q. You say that Mr. Carroll had been filing saws? A. When I used to saw I used to see him before me filing the saws.
“Q. I mean at the time von were hurt: just before you were hurt,? A. No; I did not see him until that afternoon when he came to work.

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Related

Katalia Co. v. Rones
186 F. 30 (Ninth Circuit, 1911)

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Bluebook (online)
196 F. 454, 116 C.C.A. 228, 1912 U.S. App. LEXIS 1508, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/northwestern-lumber-co-v-cizen-ca9-1912.