Stevens v. Walton

17 Colo. App. 440
Colorado Court of Appeals·Decided April 15, 1902·No. No. 2117·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

Thomson, J.

W. B. Walton brought suit against F. P. Stevens and W. E. McCbristie to recover wages which he claimed they owed him for services rendered. The action was commenced before a justice of the peace, and there being no written pleadings, the nature and amount of the claim must be found in the evidence. From that it appears that the plaintiff charged the defendants, as partners, doing business under the name of The Nonpareil Portrait and Publishing Company, and that the services for which he claimed compensation, consisted in printing and toning certain pictures, printing and finishing standard views of [442] Colorado scenery, and doing general photo work. Sammons was served on Stevens only; McChristie did not appear. The jary foand for the plaintiff, and Stevens is here by appeal from the jadgment entered on the verdict.

There was evidence to warrant the jary in finding that Stevens held himself oat as a partner with McChristie, and there was some evidence that there was an actaal partnership between the two men— notably a bond execated by Stevens to McChristie, at the time their basiness relations ceased, which recited a sale by McChristie of his interest in the basiness, stock and fixtnres, to Stevens; the latter assaming all the obligations of the basiness. The evidence also sapported the finding of the jary as to the amoant which was dae the plaintiff; and anless Stevens’ case was prejadieed by error committed at the trial, or in the giving or refasing of instractions, the jadgment below mast be affirmed.

In the printed argament for the appellant, most of the assignments of error have been abandoned; and we shall notice those only apon which reliance is now specifically placed.

The plaintiff was asked what his services rendered for the defendants were worth. Stevens objected to the qaestion as immaterial, incompetent and irrelevant. In sapport of his objection, he refers as to the case of Republican Publishing Co. v. Miner; 12 Colo. 77, in which it was held that the statement of a witness that his anderstanding of a pablication alleged to be libeloas, was that it charged the offense of an attempt to commit marder, was improperly admitted; and to the case of R. R. Co. v. R. R. Co., 67 Ill. 142, which is eqnally irrelevant. A person is presnmed to know the valae of his own services, and is a competent witness to sach valae. The objection was very properly overraled. .....

[443] H. J. Qlmstead, a witness for the plaintiff, was interrogated as follows:

“Now, from what you know of photography at this time, and what you saw of Mr. Walton’s work there, state to the jury what degree of skill he had as a workman in that occupation?”

The question was followed by this' from Stevens:

“Defendant objects as incompetent.”

Objections should be sufficiently specific to enable a court to rule upon them intelligently. We think this one hardly meets the requirement. The court allowed the question to' be answered; and, regardless of the sufficiency or insufficiency of the objection, we think the ruling was right. The witness had been engaged by the side of the plaintiff, in the same kind of work, and, from his testimony, would seem to have been quite familiar with its details, and a very good judge of its merit when done. His answer was: “As far as I can judge, I would say .that Mr. Walton’s work was very good.”

We think he possessed the qualifications neces^ sary to enable him to testify.

In his cross-examination of Olmstead, Stevens’ counsel asked him this question:

“Now, what was the state of Mr. Walton’s health when he entered the employ of the Nonpareil Portrait and Publishing Company, if you know?”

The court sustained an objection to the question on the ground that it was not proper cross-examination. For Stevens it is said that in the direct examination of the witness, the plaintiff’s counsel brought out testimony concerning his health, and that, therefore, the cross-interrogatory was proper. While the witness was being directly examined, and while he was testifying concerning a Mr. Lombard, who had succeeded the plaintiff in his position with the Nonpareil Portrait and Publishing Company, he was [444] questioned as follows, returning the annexed answers :

“Q. You may state whether he (Lombard) could do any better work than Mr. Walton? '
“A. He could do a greater variety, but I don’t think any better.
“Q. Could he do any more of it?
“A. He was a stronger man, and could work longer hours.”

It is in this last answer that counsel find the evidence concerning the plaintiff’s health, which they say entitled them to a response to the question. That simply because one man is physically stronger than another, there is something wrong with the latter’s health, is a new proposition to us. In the present state of our knowledge, we are compelled to disagree with counsel, and to hold that the court was right in excluding the proposed testimony.

A printed circular of some kind, marked “Exhibit G, ’ ’ and offered in evidence by Stevens, was rejected by the court. Counsel say the ruling was error. We do not know what the paper contained. The following is all the abstract says about it: “Exhibit Gr. This is an advertising circular used by the Nonpareil Portrait and Publishing Company to advertise the business at both the main and branch offices. ’ ’

Without further information on the subject than the foregoing imparts, we must presume that the court ruled correctly.

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Stevens v. Walton, 17 Colo. App. 440 (Colo. Ct. App. 1902).

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