Crown Hill Railway Co. v. Armstrong
Crown Hill Railway Co. v. Armstrong
Opinion of the Court
The appellee sued the appellant, and had judgment against it, from which it appeals to this court. The «Crown .Hill Railway Company was organized to construct a i-railroad from the city of Indianapolis to Crown Hill Cem
On the 14th day of August, 1866, the following agreement was entered into by and between the said railroad company and the Citizens’ Street Railway Company of Indianapolis:
“This agreement, made and entered into this 14th day of August, 1866, between the Crown Hill Railway Company, a corporation organized under the laws of Indiana, party of the first part, and the Citizens’ Street Railway Company of Indianapolis, a corporation organized under the laws of Indiana, party of the second part, witnesset'h:
“That whereas the party of the first part were organized for the purpose of furnishing á cheap, convenient, and speedy means of access for the citizens of Indianapolis and its vicinity to Crown Hill Cemetery, as well as to accomodate the citizens along and adjacent to the line of their road in travelling to and from the city .of Indianapolis, and in aid of their said purpose divers persons in the vicinity of said road have contributed as a donation the sum of ten thousand dollars, and have also granted the right of way on the sole condition that the said road shall be built, suitably stocked, kept in repair, and so operated and run as to afford them reasonable accommodation in travelling to and from the city of Indianapolis;
“Now, therefore, for the purpose of more effectually accomplishing their said purpose, the, said party of the first part have resolved to, and have entered into a contract with the said party of the second part, on,the terms and conditions following, to wit:
“xst. The party of the first part hereby agrees to construct and complete, at their own cost, within ninety days from this date, according to the plans and specifications for the con
“2d. In consideration of the stipulation hereinafter contained, the party of the first part hereby perpetually lease, free of all charge to the party of the second part forever, their said railroad, to be completed as aforesaid, including the track, grading, iron, and all the structures thereon or pertaining ther&to, together with the right of way, the right to use and operate the same, and taking tolls thereon.
“3d. The party of the second part agrees to stock and equip the said road in a manner suitable and sufficient to furnish ample accommodations for all persons desiring to travel on the same, and especially for funerals to Crown Hill Cemetery, and to keep the said road amply stocked and equipped for both purposes; and also to keep the said road in good repair forever; and further, if the party desires at any time to make any changes, additions, or improvements whatever in or upon said road, they shall have the privilege of doing so, but at their own expense; except that this permission shall not include any change in the route of the road as first established, without the written approval of the said Crown Hill Railway Company; and the party of the first part shall in no event be liable for any cost or expense whatever for anything connected with the said road or bridges thereof, its management, operation, change, addition, or improvements, including all taxes, income, or other public charges on the road, after the same shall have been completed and finished as hereinbefore provided for.
“4th. The said road shall be operated by the party of the second part so as to answer all reasonable demands of travel, and’ accommodate the wants and convenience of persons
“5th. The fare or toll for conveying passengers between Tinker street and the gate of Crown Hill Cemetery shall not exceed fifteen cents either way- for a single trip, and twenty-five cents for a round trip but or in and back during the same day. Tickets for said round trip, except for funerals, to be furnished and purchased at the office of the company of the second part. The fare for conveying persons attending funerals from any part of the city of Indianapolis whence the funeral is to proceed, used by said street railway company, shall not be more than the established fare for a round trip for conveying other passengers between Tinker street and Crown Hill Cemetery; except the funeral car or car conveying the corpse, the relatives and the pallbearers, to the extent of twenty persons, shall be estimated as containing thirty passengers, and shall be charged at the established rate of fare as containing the number of thirty persons for a round trip; and the fare for persons residing on. or near the line of said railway between the Westfield Grave! Road and Michigan Road shall not be more than five cents between Washington street and the said Fall Creek bridge on said railway, and the same fare for persons visiting said grounds.
"6th. And it is further expressly agreed and stipulated that the aforesaid perpetual lease is upon the express condition that the party of the second part shall in all respects keep, perform, and observe all the agreements, contracts, and stipulations by them to be kept, performed, and observed; and that in case they shall fail or neglect to keep, perform, and observe the same, or any one of them at any time for a continuous period of thirty days, unless prevented by providential or unavoidable circumstances, they shall forfeit all
“ 7th. It is further mutually agreed by the parties hereto, that if at any future time it shall be discovered, or if it shall be decreed by competent counsel that any other of further conveyances, contracts, or assurances are necessary to carry into full and complete effect the purposes of this contract in good faith, then the same shall be forthwith executed and submitted by the proper party.
“In testimony whereof, the parties have caused these presents to be signed by their respective presidents, and to be attested by their respective seals hereunto attached.
“ T. A. Morris, President
“ Crown Hill Railway Company.
“E. S. Alvord, President
“ Citizens’ Street Railway Company.
“ W. H. English, Treasurer.”
On the 8th day of May, 1867, the following agreement, on which the suit is predicated, was executed by and between the Crown Hill Railway Company and John Armstrong and others named therein:
“This agreement, made the 8th day of May, 1867, between the Crown Hill Railway Company, a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Indiana, of the first part, and John Armstrong, W. Clinton Thompson, James W. Green, George H. Chapman, Garrison W. Aired, Langsdale & Buckhart, Joseph Moore, G. Schurmann, and John H. Lozier, of the second part, witnesseth: that, whereas the several individuals who are parties of the second part have subscribed and paid a large amount toward the construction of the Crown Hill Railway, and are interested in maintaining and the successful working of said railway; and whereas
“And it is further agreed, that if at any time the said Crown Hill Railway shall cease to be operated in the same manner as in said agreement named, between the cemetery and the city of Indianapolis, except for such time or times as may be reasonably necessary for proper repairs, then the
“ In witness whereof, the said parties have hereunto set their hands and seals.
“The Crown Hill Cemetery Railway Company,
“ By T. A. Morris, President.”
Armstrong paid off the note which was first to mature, prior to the execution of this last contract, and paid the other one on the nth day of May, 1867, three days after its execution.-
It is alleged in the complaint that the Citizens’ Street Railway Company of Indianapolis has not, nor has any other person or company, on. their behalf, run cars upon said Crown Hill Railway, or operated it so as to answer all reasonable demands of travel and accommodate the wants and conveniences of persons residing along and near its line, nor have there been six round trips a day, except Sundays, since the 1st day of November, 1867, nor more than three trips a day for one-half of the time since that date, nor more than four trips a day for the other half of the time since that date; so that persons could not pass from one end of the line of the road to the other, or to or from intermediate points of the road by means of the cars, except at long intervals of three or four hours, or return without waiting long intervals of three or four hours, which did not answer the wants or convenience of the persons residing along said .road; and that the Citizens’ Street Railway Company of Indianapolis was not prevented, during any part of said time, from running more trains of cars, or making more trips, by making necessary or proper repairs. It is also alleged that, in March, 1868, the plaintiff gave the defendant notice in writing of such failure, and that unless the agreement should be complied with, he should insist upon the forfeiture of five thousand dollars, provided for in the contract; and because the defendant wholly neglected to require the contract to be
The defendant pleaded the general denial. Of the issue thus formed there was a trial by a jury, and a general verdict for the plaintiff for five thousand ..eight hundred and seventy dollars, and also answers to numerous interrogatories, which it is not deemed necessary to copy into this opinion.
The defendant moved the court to grant it a new trial, for excess in the damages, because the verdict is not sustained by sufficient evidence, and is contrary to law. It was also alleged that the court had committed errors of law during the trial of the cause in admitting in evidence the two contracts above set out, and in refusing to admit proper legal material evidence to go to the jury which was offered by the defendant, and to which the defendant excepted. But what particular evidence was thus Offered and excluded is not stated. It was also claimed that the court had erred in charging as and for the law that 'which is not and was not law, relevant to the facts, or material to aid the jury in finding a just and true verdict in said cause, in each and every charge given by said court to the jury, and especially in charging and instructing the jury as he did in each of his charges and instructions numbered two, four, and five given to said jury; in submitting each and every interrogatory requested to be given to the jury; and that the answers to the interrogatories propounded by the court at the instance of the plaintiff, as well as those propounded by the defendant, are not sustained by the evidence, but are contrary thereto.
This motion was overruled by the court, and the defendant then moved in arrest of judgment, for the reasons that the complaint does not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action, and because upon the whole record the judgment should be for the defendant for costs, and not for the plaintiff on the finding of the jury.
This motion was also overruled, and judgment rendered
The assignment of errors presents to this court the question as to the correctness of the action of the court in over-; ruling the motion for a new trial, and that in arrest of judgment.
The brief of the learned counsel for the appellant seems to have been prepared for use in the case while it was pending in the common pleas, and hence it does not. take up and discuss the points as they are presented by the record and assignment of errors. It is proper for us to consider the questions as they are presented by the assignment of errors.
Of the questions presented by the motion for a new trial, the first is, that the damages are excessive. It was stipulated in the contract sued upon, that “if, at any time, the said Crown .Hill Railway shall cease to be operated in the same manner as in said agreement named, between the cemetery and the city of Indianapolis, except for such time or times as may be reasonably necessary for proper repairs, then the second party shall be entitled to recover from said first party the amount that each shall have paid as a donation for the construction of said road, with interest from the date of ceasing to operate the road.” This question is not discussed by counsel. The parties made the rule by which-the amount of damages should be measured. We think they had the right and power to do so. The damages are no greater than provided for. The interest is to be computed from the time of “ceasing to operate the road.” By which is to be understood the ceasing to operate it according to the requirements of the contract.
There is no insufficiency in the evidence to support the verdict of the jury. We have examined it, and it fully justifies the findings and verdict of the jury.
There is no ground for claiming that the verdict is contrary to law.
There was no objection made to the introduction of the
On the question of mutuality, counsel for the appellee submit that this is no valid objection to the validity of the contract. They insist that the same objection might with equal force be made in all suits on promissory notes and bills of exchange, to actions upon the covenants in a deed, in actions on contracts in writing required by the statute of frauds, and in actions upon official bonds ; in none of which cases is the instrument executed by the party bringing the action.
It is not doubted but that a contract, to be binding, must be mutual. The minds of the parties must meet and agree upon the same terms or stipulations. A mere proposition from one party, not accepted by the other, can never constitute a contract. But when the parties have made their con-tract, it is frequently the case that it is reduced to writing and executed on one part only, while the obligation of the other party is not evidenced by ány writing signed by him, but rests only in parol. This most frequently occurs where the contract on the part of the party not executing it re
In this case, Armstrong had already paid one of his notes, and was about to pay the other when the contract on which the suit is brought was executed, and he did, in a few days thereafter, pay the other note. This contract, in its recitals, expressly says, that “when the subscriptions were made, it was understood that the subscribers should have some security for the permanent and constant maintaining and working of said railway.” The appellant cannot consistently deny the truth 'of this recital. Armstrong was already bound to pay the money, by his promissory note. This was all that he had to do to fulfil the contract bn his part. We do not see why it should be considered necessary for him to ■ sign the contract in question. The promissory note and the agreement in question relate to the same contract, though written and executed at different dates. It is true that it is said in the contract, that it was “ understood that the subscribers should have some security,” but we must understand this to mean that it was so agreed. Regarding the notes, then, as showing the contract so far as it was to be performed by the parties making the donations, and the contract sued upon as showing the contract on the part of the defendant, all relating to and being evidence of the same transaction, we see no ground for the objection of want of mutuality.
As to the objection that there is no consideration, it might be sufficient, perhaps, to say that there is no answer setting up the defence. But we think a sufficient consideration clearly appears. Armstrong was interested in the making of the road, and in its being kept in use. He agreed to pay five thousand dollars toward its construction, and the company agreed to give him some security for the performance of the contract on its part by keeping up the road. When
The objection to the instructions given raises no question other than those already disposed of.
As to the objection that the court erred in submitting the interrogatories to the jury, we think it sufficient to say that no question is made upon the answers made by the jury to the interrogatories by either party, and that, therefore, the interrogatories could have done the defendant no harm.
The complaint was sufficient. There was no reason, therefore, for arresting the judgment for the insufficiency of the complaint. Nor can we see that upon the whole record judgment should have been for the defendant fot costs; and not for the plaintiff for the amount of the verdict.
The judgment is affirmed, with two per cent, damages and costs.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.