Saginaw Milling Co. v. Mower

118 N.W. 622, 154 Mich. 620, 1908 Mich. LEXIS 767
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 30, 1908
DocketDocket No. 14
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 118 N.W. 622 (Saginaw Milling Co. v. Mower) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Saginaw Milling Co. v. Mower, 118 N.W. 622, 154 Mich. 620, 1908 Mich. LEXIS 767 (Mich. 1908).

Opinion

Blair, J.

This action was originally brought in justice’s court to recover of the defendant the price of certain seeds, for which it was alleged defendant was liable. The defendant, Mower, was the owner of a farm which he had leased to one Peacock by written lease, providing, among other things, that Peacock should furnish all seed, that the title to all crops raised should be in defendant, and that he might retain out of the proceeds of his sales from Peacock’s share the amount of advances made by him, with interest at 6 per cent. Mr. Hubbard, an employé of plaintiff, who made the sale, testified:

“April 5, 1905, Mr. Peacock called at the office, and told me he wanted some seed. He met no one there except myself.
“Q. Did you say anything to him ?
“A. I asked him if he was going to pay for it ‘yourself.’ He said ‘No;’ it was for T. Dailey Mower, to call up upon the phone. * * * I says, ‘ What, is this seed to go on his farm?’ And he says: ‘Yes; it is, and he told me to call you up.’
“Q. Did you have any further talk before you called Mower up ?
“A. I did not. I stepped to the phone and called him up.
“Q. At that time was Mr. Peacock there.
“A. Yes; he stood within three feet of me on the opposite side of the standing desk. * * *
“Q. Tell us what that talk was in reference to furnishing of the seed ?
“A. It took place about noon. The boy at the billing desk had gone to dinner, and I was looking after that desk through the noon hour, and after talking to Mr. [622]*622Peacock, I stepped to the phone and got Mr. Mower on the phone at his house, and told him Mr. Peacock was there and wanted seed oats, etc., enumerating what he wanted, and told him we didn’t know Mr. Peacock, that he had told us the seed was for Mr. Mower, and that Mr. Mower was to pay for it, and I wanted to be sure before delivering it to him. He says: ‘You can give him the seed, and, if he don’t pay for it, I will.’ I says: ‘ That’s not it. He says the seed is for you, and you will pay for it.’ And he says: ‘ I will pay for it, and I will confirm the conversation in writing if you wish.’ And I says: ‘ We have known you for some years, and it isn’t necessary.’ * * _
_ l‘Q. Look at this bill No. 14,769 [showing witness paper], and state if that was the order which was taken at the time ?
“A. That’s the order made out in my handwriting.
UQ. ‘ Louis A. Peacock ’ is signed on the back of it ?
, “A. Yes; he receipted for it. That is always demanded when delivering goods to any one, but the party to whom it was sold; that the agent or whoever went for it should receipt for it so there would be no question after-wards. * * *
L. Peacock, 4-5-4.
Guaranteed by T. D. Mower. 14,769
F 200 bu. Seed oats........-........... 43......8 86 00
F 25 bu. Seed barley.................. 70------ 17 50
F 10 bu. Tim. seed.................... 1 50 ----- 15 50
8119 00
[Signed] “Louis A. Peacock.”

Defendant Mower testified:

“ He [Peacock] said that he had got to have some seed, oats, barley, and some timothy seed; that he was unacquainted with — he was acquainted with Jerome Bros., and could get it there, but he had to have it, and he hadn’t the money to pay for it; that he had to get it on credit; that he was acquainted with Jerome Bros., and they would let him have it on credit, but they didn’t have what he wanted; that he would have to get it either at Callam’s or the Saginaw Milling Company, and that they were not acquainted with him; and I told him to go to Callam’s or the milling company and have them call me up, and I would advise them in regard to him.
[623]*623“Q. After that conversation, what did Mr. Peacock do ?
“A. He went away, and in a short time I was called up by phone, and they said it was the Saginaw Milling Company. They said to me that a Mr. Peacock was there, and wanted to by some grain for seed on credit, and ‘ What do you know about him ? ’ I told them that Mr. Peacock was on my farm, that he was thoroughly reliable and honest, and they wanted to know if I would guarantee the account, and I told them I would if they thought it was necessary, but I didn’t think it was necessary because I considered Mr. Peacock thoroughly reliable; and they wanted to know if I would guarantee the account in writing, and I told them ‘Yes,’ to send me an invoice. I never heard anything further from them for six months.
“Q. Did they send you an invoice?
“A. No; I never heard a word from them, either written or verbal, for six months.”

Prior to the litigation, plaintiff treated the original order and the books as stating correctly the legal character of the transaction, as shown by sending Peacock to Mower with a note from him to the company for Mower’s indorsement and by their letters to Mower, of which we quote the following:

“Jan. 39th, ’06. .
“Mr. T. Dailey Mower,
“ Owen St., City.
Dear Sir: Since talking over phone with you a few days since in regard to our account against L. Peacock, we have looked up the original order covering our sale and find that there is a notation on same stating that the account is guaranteed by you. Upon referring the order sheet to our Mr. Hubbard, who made it out, he states that he distinctly remembers calling you on the phone, and asking if you would guarantee the account, as we were unacquainted with Mr. Peacock. He states that you agreed to do this, and under these conditions we allowed Mr. Peacock to have the goods he desired. We do not wish to cause you any inconvenience in the matter, but would ask that you kindly use your influence to get Mr Peacock to take care of the account.
“Yours truly,
“Saginaw Milling Co.,
“ W. H. E. — M. F.” “Cashier.

[624]*624The court submitted the case to the jury, who found a verdict in favor of plaintiff, overruled defendant’s motion for new trial, and defendant brings the record to this court for review upon writ of error.

As stated by defendant’s counsel:

“On the record only three main questions are presented under which all of the assignments of error will be taken up. These are:
“(1) Was the agreement of the defendant, T. Dailey Mower, as shown by the undisputed testimony, a promise to answer for the debt of another person required to be in writing by section 9515, 3 Comp. Laws ?

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Bluebook (online)
118 N.W. 622, 154 Mich. 620, 1908 Mich. LEXIS 767, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/saginaw-milling-co-v-mower-mich-1908.