Usrey Lumber Co. v. Huie-Hodge Lumber Co.

65 So. 627, 135 La. 511, 1914 La. LEXIS 1804
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedFebruary 16, 1914
DocketNo. 19880
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 65 So. 627 (Usrey Lumber Co. v. Huie-Hodge Lumber Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Usrey Lumber Co. v. Huie-Hodge Lumber Co., 65 So. 627, 135 La. 511, 1914 La. LEXIS 1804 (La. 1914).

Opinions

MONROE, J.

Upon August 28, 1911, plaintiff and defendant entered into a contract, for the nonexecution of which by defendant the district court has awarded plaintiff damages in the sum of $2,405.87, with interest, and both litigants have appealed. The contract reads as follows:

“This contract and agreement, made and entered into on the 28th day of August, 1911, by and between the Huie-Hodge Lumber Company, Limited, party of the first part, and t-he Usrey Lumber Company, party of the second part, both -being Louisiana incorporations.- The object of .the party of the first part is to sell all hardwood stumpage into hardwood logs delivered at the mill of the party of the second part, which is to be built at or near. Danville, and to secure the shipment of the said product over the line of the N. L. & G. Railroad.
“The object of the party of the second part is to purchase all hardwood logs at the mill which they now contract to build at or near Danville and to manufacture same into lumber.
“The land on which this mill is to be built is the property of the party of the first part. They agree to furnish as much ground as is necessary for the building and operating of said hardwood mill, free of charge. Therefore it is agreed between the contracting parties:
“That the party of the first part is to (1) cut the timber into such lengths as is designated by the party of the second part, and the timber will be cut in a manner that will prevent splitting as much as possible; (2) to build all spurs or side tracks at the mill necessary 'for the unloading and storing of logs; (3) to furnish or build all necessary tracks for loading the finished product; (4) to deliver 10,000 feet, or over, daily of logs, on the side track at the mill, to' the party of the second part, of the following sizes and monthly percentage:
“Not more than ten per cent, cypress, 10" in diameter and over at little end, grade to make No. 1 common timbers. Not more than ten per cent, hickory, 10" in diameter and over at little end, grade to make No. 1 common timbers. Not more than forty per cent, red oak, 10" diameter and over at little end, grade to make No. 1 common timbers. Any amount of white oak, 10" diameter and over at little end, grade to make No. 1 common timbers.
“Party of the second part agrees: (1) That all the above-described timber is to be of the grade that will make No. 1 common timbers, said timbers to be graded by the rules adopted by Hardwood Manufacturers’ Association; (2) to build and operate a sawmill at or near Dan-ville that will have a daily capacity of not less than 10,000 feet; (3) to accept logs of the above size and description and to pay for same at the. rate of $9 per thousand feet; (4) that, if there should be logs that fall below the above grade or size, same will be accepted at $6.50 per thousand feet by scale. It is further agreed between the parties hereto that all logs shall be scaled by a competent scaler, who shall be jointly employed, and whose expenses shall be equally borne by contracting parties; all logs to be scaled at little end and across narrow way, between barks, and making proper allowance for all visible defects.
“A copy of all logs thusly scaled shall be furnished to both parties daily; and the report so furnished shall be the basis of settlement, which shall not be later than the 20th of the following month in which the logs were delivered.
“Huie-Hodge Lumber Co., Ltd.,
“By O. E. Hodge, Gen’l Mgr.
“Usrey Lumber Co.,
“By W. H. Fields.”

Plaintiff alleges that it erected the mill, as required by the contract, and notified defendant that it was ready to receive logs on December 1, 1911, and that, during the ten ’months following, and up to October 1, 1912, defendant made deliveries, aggregating, in log measure, as follows:

In December, 1911 93,524 feet

“ January, 1912 152,927 “

“ February, “ 154,739 “

“ March, “ 100,258 “

“ April, 118,113 “

“ May, “ 110,826 “

“ June, 228,812 “

“ July, 242,386 “

“ August, “ 152,647 “

“ September, “ 147,462 “

Total .1,501,694 feet

It further alleges that it was entitled to 3,050,000 feet, and repeatedly demanded that plaintiff deliver the minimum of 10,000 feet per day, as called for by the contract; that, in cutting and handling the (say 5,000 feet per day of) logs actually delivered, it made a profit of $7.50 per 1,000 feet, but that, being [516]*516prepared, and being under tbe expense required, to manufacture into lumber 10,000 feet per day, tbe average cost per 1,000 feet would have been reduced, and its profit increased by $2.50 per 1,000, had the 10,000 feet per day. been delivered. It therefore (in its petition) claimed, as loss of profit resulting from defendants alleged default, $2.-50 per 1,000 on 1,500,000 feet of logs delivered ; $10 per 1,000, on 1,548,204 feet, not delivered; $350 per month for ten months as one-half of its fixed charges during that period; and $5,000 as exemplary damages; making a total (according to its calculation) of $27,738. In this court, however, the entire claim is stated in two items, aggregating $10,246.88, as follows: Profit, at $7.43 per 1,000, on 1,098,306 feet of logs, $8,160.81; pro rata of fixed charges attributable to logs undelivered, $2,086.07.

Defendant’s contentions are: (i) That, though the contract may read differently, it was not contemplated that 10,000 feet of logs should be delivered on each day of the week and year, that it merely undertook to supply plaintiff with that number of logs upon the usual working days, under ordinary conditions, which meant from 20 to 22 days per month, but that the conditions during the months of December, 1911, and August, 1912, were not ordinary, because of the excessive rainfall, which prevented the logging of hardwood timber, and hence that, in calculating the number of days upon which it was obligated to deliver 10,000 feet of logs, there should be deducted, one week day in each week, all the Sundays and holidays, and a large proportion of the two months mentioned ; (2) that the scaling according to which defendant received the logs “was wrong and fraudulent, and that plaintiff persistently, fraudulently, and systematically pinched and reduced the scale of the logs, threw out, culled, and refused to accept timber that was merchantable according to the contract, and fraudulently failed to account therefor; that it used and manufactured timber not included in the scale, but reported to defendant as being culled and worthless;” and that, though, according to such scaling, plaintiff received 1,501,696 feet of logs, there was an “overrun” in the cutting and manufacturing of the same, so that it produced 1,889,-411 feet of lumber, from the excess of which it made a profit of $6,296.12.

[1] 1. Considering, first, the days upon which the logs were to be delivered, the pleadings and evidence disclose the following facts:

Some time in 1911 Mr. Fields, representing plaintiff, and Mr. Hodge, representing defendant, entered into negotiations, as a result of which Mr. Fields prepared a project of a contract and forwarded it to Mr. Hodge, for approval, and Mr. Hodge, on September 6, 1911, wrote to Mr.

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

Related

Texasgulf Inc. v. United Gas Pipe Line Co.
471 F. Supp. 594 (District of Columbia, 1979)
Cockburn v. O'Meara
155 F.2d 340 (Fifth Circuit, 1946)
Usrey Lumber Co. v. Huie-Hodge Lumber Co.
83 So. 578 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1920)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
65 So. 627, 135 La. 511, 1914 La. LEXIS 1804, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/usrey-lumber-co-v-huie-hodge-lumber-co-la-1914.