Paris Oil & Cotton Co. v. Carstens Packing Co.

126 S.W. 1182, 60 Tex. Civ. App. 68, 1910 Tex. App. LEXIS 459
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 24, 1910
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 126 S.W. 1182 (Paris Oil & Cotton Co. v. Carstens Packing Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Paris Oil & Cotton Co. v. Carstens Packing Co., 126 S.W. 1182, 60 Tex. Civ. App. 68, 1910 Tex. App. LEXIS 459 (Tex. Ct. App. 1910).

Opinion

WILLSON, Chief Justice.

The appeal is from a judgment in favor of appellee against appellant for the sum of $985, as the damages suffered by the former as the result, as alleged, of a breach by the latter of its contract to sell and deliver to the former, f. o. b. cars at Paris, certain cotton seed oil.

In its petition the packing company alleged that on or about October 24, 1905, it entered into a contract with the oil company whereby the oil company “sold and agreed to ship to plaintiff four cars bleachable prime summer yellow cotton oil at and for the price of twenty-one cents per gallon, buyers’ tank basis, f. _ o. b. Paris, and if shipped in barrels three cents per gallon additional. The first car to be shipped immediately. The other three cars to be shipped in November and December, 1905. The second car to be shipped November 17, 1905;” that the oil company negligently failed to ship the first car until November 13, 1905, and negligently failed to ship *69 the second car until November 30, 1905, and negligently failed to route said cars as directed; that as a result" of such negligence the first car did not reach it until December 30, 1905, and the second car did not reach it until January 27, 1906; that the oil company wholly failed to ship the other two cars; and that as a consequence of the delay in the shipment of the two cars and the failure to ship the other two, it was compelled to buy other oil to its damage in the sum of $991.16. The packing company further alleged in its said petition that the two cars shipped by the oil company were shipped from Corsicana, instead of from Paris, resulting in its having to pay $21.60 more as freight than it would have had to pay had the shipment been made from Paris; and that neither of the cars shipped contained the quantity of oil it should have contained, and that in paying the oil company’s draft covering the shipments it paid on one car $15.07 and on the other $18.85 more than it should have paid. In its answer the oil company, after pleading a general denial, specially plead that the sale made by it to the packing company was with reference to rules of the Interstate Cotton Seed Crushers’ Association set out in the answer; that it had complied with its undertaking; that the four cars of oil sold by it to the packing company were to be shipped during the months of October and November, 1905; that the packing company was to furnish tank cars for the shipments, or at its (the packing company’s) option have same shipped in barrels by paying three cents additional to the price per gallon if shipped in tanks; that as to two of the four cars the packing company exercised its option and directed same to be shipped in barrels; that said two cars were so shipped; that the packing .company failed to exercise its option to have the remaining two cars shipped in barrels during the month of November, 1905, and failed to furnish tanks for the shipment thereof during the month of November, 1905, but thereafterwards demanded that same be shipped in barrels; that if it was true that the cars shipped by it during the month of November contained less oil than the minimum carload weight, it was also true that all the oil which could be loaded in the - cars in barrels, without placing the barrels one upon another, which would have been unsafe and likely to cause damage to the shipment, was loaded therein; and that the rules of the railway company receiving the shipment, and the general custom of such carriers, forbid stacking the barrels one upon another. In supplemental petitions the packing company alleged that the contract covering its purchase of the oil was made with it through the oil company’s agents and brokers, Johnson, Lieber &. Co., of Tacoma, Washington, and was evidenced by letters and telegrams and an order accepted by the oil company, said order being set out in haec vería in one of said supplemental petitions; and further alleged that a tank of oil was understood by the parties to the contract to be 125 barrels.

The trial was before the court without a jury. The record does not contain the trial judge’s findings as to the facts and conclusions as to the law.

After stating the case as aiove.—We sustain as specified the thir *70 teenth assignment, and will reverse the judgment because it is not supported by evidence in the record.

The order given by appellee for the oil was as follows:

“ Johnson-Lieber Co.,
“Merchandise Brokers, Tacoma, Washington,
“Manufacturers’ Agents. For Paris Oil & Cotton Co.,
“W. F. Saul, Manager. . • Paris, Texas.
“Order Mo. 1865. Tacoma, Wash., Oct. 24, 1905.
“4 cars Bleachable Prime Summer Yellow Cotton Oil, 21c.
“Buyers tank basis.
“F. 0. B. Paris.
“If shipped in barrels 3c. per gallon additional.
“Terms—Met cash, sight draft against B/L.
“Routing of shipment—St. L. & S. F., Burlington & M. P. Ry.
“Time of shipment—See letters of instruction 21st and 24th insts.
“Insurance—
“Special conditions and remarks—”

It will be noted that the order refers for specification as to the time when the oil was to be shipped to letters of instruction dated October 21 and October 24, 1905. The letter of October 21 is not a part of the record on this appeal. The letter of October 24 referred to, from the Johnson-Lieber Co. to appellant was as follows: “We now inclose you order for the Carstens Packing Co., this city, as per your wires of the 21st and 24th insts., respectively. We today instructed you to ship first car immediately in barrels at 3c. additional, buyers tank basis. Remaining three cars are awaiting your adviser as to possibility of obtaining tank cars. Immediately after receipt of your wire we shall telegraph you Carstens Packing Co.’s decision and instructing you how to ship.”

It will be noted that the letter specified a time for the shipment of only one car—and that one immediately and in barrels. The testimony was that it required about one week for a letter to go from Tacoma to Paris. By the rules of the Interstate Cotton Seed Crushers’ Association, with reference, to which both parties seem to treat the contract as having been made, immediate shipment meant within five days. If it required a week for the letter to go from Tacoma to Paris appellant received same about October 31. So the first car should have been shipped by appellant not later than Movember 5. It was shipped Movember 13.

The second car was ordered by letter dated Movember 17, to be shipped in' barrels as soon as possible after its receipt. Allowing one week for the letter to reach appellant, and five working days thereafter in which to make the shipment, the second car should have been shipped about Movember 29. It was shipped Movember 30.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Franklin Sugar Refining Co. v. Egerton
288 F. 698 (Fourth Circuit, 1923)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
126 S.W. 1182, 60 Tex. Civ. App. 68, 1910 Tex. App. LEXIS 459, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/paris-oil-cotton-co-v-carstens-packing-co-texapp-1910.