Oil Creek Gold Mining Co. v. Fairbanks, Morse & Co.

19 Colo. App. 142
CourtColorado Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 15, 1903
DocketNo. 2297
StatusPublished

This text of 19 Colo. App. 142 (Oil Creek Gold Mining Co. v. Fairbanks, Morse & Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Colorado Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Oil Creek Gold Mining Co. v. Fairbanks, Morse & Co., 19 Colo. App. 142 (Colo. Ct. App. 1903).

Opinion

Maxwell, J.

Judgment on the pleadings having been rendered in this case, it is necessary to understand the condition of the pleadings at the time the judgment was rendered. ' 1

Fairbanks, Morse & Co. commenced this action against The Oil Creek Gold Mining Company by filing a complaint setting forth two causes of action. An amended complaint was filed which superseded the original, and in which two causes of action were set forth, the first upon a contract, as follows:

“Denver, Colo., March 6th, 1899.
“The Oil Creek Gold Mining Company,
“Mr. O. It. Salmons, Manager,
“Colorado Springs, Colorado.
“Gentlemen: We hereby propose to ‘furnish [144]*144you one of our 34 H. P. combined gasoline air compressors, all complete, for the sum of twenty-one hundred and fifty dollars ($2,150.00), f. o. b. 'ears Beloit, Wisconsin.
“We further agree to ship this compressor from Beloit, Wisconsin, to Denver, Colorado, with other machinery, giving you the benefit of carload rate.to Denver at 80c per cwt.; also agree to furnish competent man to superintend the erection of the engine without expense to you.
“We guarantee this compressor to be a perfect working machine, economical in its use of gasoline and reliable in its work. We guarantee it against any imperfections of workmanship and material, and agr’ec to make good any part showing up defective within a period of one year, without cost to you.
“We also agree that the crank shaft shall extend through one or both fly wheels sufficiently far to permit of the use of a pulley should you wish to use one in the future.
“We agree to make shipment the latter part of March, and will shorten this time as much as possible. Terms of payment, one-half (4) cash with the order and balance thirty days after the erection of the engine. Your acceptance of this proposition to constitute a contract by and between us.
“Yours very truly,
“FAIRBANKS, MORSE & CO.,
“PI. F. Probert.
“The foregoing proposition is hereby accepted.
“TPIE OIL CREEK GOLD MINING CO.,
“O. R. Salmons, Mgr.”

The second cause of action was upon an account for merchandise sold and delivered by the plaintiff to the defendant, about which there is no controversy, except as the same may be raised by the cross-complaint hereinafter set forth. The amended complaint [145]*145alleges, “that the said air compressor was thereafter delivered to the defendant by the plaintiff in pursuance of the terms of the said contract.” An answer was filed to this amended complaint which, among other things, “denies that said air compressor was delivered to the defendant by the plaintiff, in pursuance of the terms of said contract.” The answer also set forth certain affirmative matters in the nature of a cross-complaint and counterclaim.

A replication was filed to the affirmative matter pleaded by the defendant, and the ’cause came to trial before the court without a jury.

The court ruled that the defendant by its answer admitted the performance by the plaintiff of its contract. No exception was saved to this ruling of the court. Thereupon defendant assumed the burden of proving the affirmative allegations of its counterclaim and introduced evidence for that purpose. The introduction of evidence had proceeded but a short time, when the defendant requested and was granted permission to file an amended answer, and to enable defendant to do this the further hearing of the cause was continued until the next day. Upon the following day defendant filed its amended answer and cross-complaint. The amended answer admits the execution of the contract, admits “that the plaintiff delivered to the defendant a combined gasoline air compressor about the time alleged in the complaint,” admits the erection of the compressor about the date alleged in the amended complaint, the payment of $1,075.00 on account, the possession of the compressor at the time of the institution of the action, and alleges a rescission of the contract by defendant, nd notice thereof to plaintiff, March 13, 1900, more Ilian one year after the execution of the contract, denies any indebtedness of the defendant to the plaintiff, and alleges certain negotiations between the. [146]*146plaintiff and defendant “prior to the making of such contract and the purchase of said machine,” which allegations are substantially the same as those set forth in the cross-complaint and counterclaim, as follows :

“Prior to the making of said contract mentioned in said complaint and the purchase of said machine, this defendant applied to plaintiff for the purchase of one of its air compressors that would drive a three and one-quarter inch (3|: inch) Ingersoll-Sergeant drill at defendant’s mine in El Paso county, and stated to defendant that the altitude of said mine where the said machine was to be used was about eleven thousand five hundred feet (11,500); that thereupon plaintiff, as an inducement to said defendant to buy one of its said machines and as an inducement to the making of said contract, represented to defendant that its thirty-four (34) horse power compressor would certainly do said work in a satisfactory manner; that defendant, relying upon the said representations and having no knowledge of the subject, which fact was known to said plaintiff, this defendant agreed to purchase said machine and accepted the proposal set out in said complaint. Defendant further says that said machine has never produced in operation at said mine to exceed twenty-three (23) horse power, nor is it capable of producing more at said mine, which is wholly inadequate to operate said Ingersoll-Sergeant drill, one of which said drills was sold to defendant by plaintiff to be used with said machine about the time of the purchase and delivery thereof; that said machine when installed would work only spasmodically, running for a short time and then stopping, that since the installation thereof and until after the institution of this suit, plaintiff has made repeated efforts to remedy the inefficiency of said machine and to increase its power, but wholly with[147]*147out success, that among* other things done by plaintiff for said purpose was the removal from said machine of a certain extra compression plate and also the recommendation .to defendant to substitute for said Ingersoll-Sergeant drill a Leyner drill, which requires less power to operate, which said substitution was made by this defendant; but the defendant says that neither of said changes and nothing that plaintiff did to increase the efficiency of said machine has perceptibly affected the same, and that said machine has wholly failed to work or drive efficiently or satisfactorily either of said drills, and all the work upon said premises by said machine has been done at great loss and inconvenience to said defendant and at a large and unnecessary expenditure of money in operating the same over and above what would have, been necessary if the said machine had done the work for which it -was bought and which plaintiff represented it was competent to do before the purchase thereof.” All of which was to the damage of the defendant in the sum of $6,000.00.

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Bluebook (online)
19 Colo. App. 142, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/oil-creek-gold-mining-co-v-fairbanks-morse-co-coloctapp-1903.