Ramsey v. W. McMillan & Son
Ramsey v. W. McMillan & Son
Opinion of the Court
Action by appellants. The complaint was-in one paragraph. It was alleged that appellants owned and occupied as a home a farm in Monroe county, suitable for cultivation and for raising high-grade stock; that appellee was a corporation engaged in the general business of sawing, planing and marketing stone, and owned a large plant, consisting of stone sawmills, operated by heavy machinery, engines and power, in said county, and in connection therewith-operated a gang of saws used for sawing large blocks of stone; that large quantities of water and sand were used in the operation of such saws, and that there were daily discharged from said plant, which was immediately east of appellants’ land, thousands of gallons of water and sand in the form of slush and mud; that on August 12, 1904, appellants conveyed to appellee certain real estate for a railroad switch, and at that time a written agreement was made, a copy of which is filed with* the complaint, by which appellee agreed that it would protect appellants at all times from any damage that might be caused to their lands by said slush and oifal from said sawmills; that on the line between the lands of appellants and appellee there was a valuable spring, from which a large volume of pure water flowed into a stream running across said lands in a westerly direction; that said stream had banks on either side, and flowed into a valuable pond on appellants ’ land, and furnished water in a sufficient quantity the year around for all the cattle and stock of appellants, and constituted their only supply for such purpose; that the fields on either side of said stream were used for pasture, and until August 12, 1904, appellants used the water of said stream for cooking, washing and for the table; that said spring and stream were of great value, and greatly enhanced the value of said farm, as appellee well knew; that ever since August 12, 1904, appellee has wilfully operated said sawmills, and, in violation of the appellants’ rights, discharged therefrom large quantities of filthy matter, mud, slush and sand, and with a large force pump has drawn
Pacts showing special damage to appellants and depreciation of the value of their land are set out in considerable detail. It was averred that the pollution of said waters constituted an irreparable injury to appellants; that the pollution of said stream as alleged constituted a nuisance; that adequate damages therefor could not be determined and assessed; that appellee will, unless enjoined therefrom, continue to pollute said stream, and will eventually destroy it, to the irreparable injury of appellants and of the citizens generally; that appellee has failed to carry out its agreement as aforesaid, has repudiated the same, and refused to protect appellants from damage, although- called upon so to do, and that appellants have fully performed said agreement upon their part. Appellants say they have been damaged in the sum of $2,000. The prayer is for a perpetual injunction and for damages.
The contract referred to is in terms as follows:
“This, an agreement made and entered into this 12th day of August, 1904, by and between W. McMillan & Son (a corporation) of the first part, and John and Mary Ramsey of the second part, witnesseth; That whereas said second party has sold to said first party a certain piece of land to be used as a switch to its stone-*20 mill, and, as a part of the consideration for said land, said first party agrees at all times to protect said second party from any damage that might he caused to their land by slush and stone, by reason of said first party’s operating a stone-mill on its premises just east of said second party’s land.”
An answer in five paragraphs was filed. The first paragraph was a general denial. A demurrer for want of facts was sustained to the second and fifth paragraphs and overruled as to the third and fourth paragraphs. • The action of the court in overruling said demurrers is separately assigned for error.
The contract referred to in the pleading, being made as averred with knowledge of the natural result of operating said mill, contemplated the protection of appellants from any damage that otherwise might be caused by the operation of such mill, and, instead of releasing appellee from any obligation in that regard which might otherwise exist, expressly bound it in that behalf, as therein stated.
The judgment is reversed, and the cause remanded, with instructions to sustain appellants’ demurrers to the third and fourth paragraphs of answer.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.