Waldron v. American Wringer Co.
Waldron v. American Wringer Co.
Opinion of the Court
The plaintiff was under a contract to build a machine for the defendant, according to plans and specifications, for $400. It was to be completed under the supervision of one Stinson, the inventor, who was desirous of getting it introduced into the defendant’s manufactory. It was the first of its kind, and the evidence shows that the defendant’s manager, one Reuter, doubted whether it would do the work for which it was designed. When the machine was completed according to the contract, the plaintiff sent the defendant a bill for the balance of the $400 then unpaid, and the defendant’s manager wrote Stinson a letter, as follows: “New York, December 5, 1893. Mr. C. K. Stinson, No. 142 Kneeland St., Boston, Mass. Dear Sir: A bill has come in from Geo. F. Waldron for the balance on spring machine. Are we now to understand that this machine is completed in every respect as per contract, and ready to be set up at Woonsocket for operation ? Yours truly, The American Wringer Co. Dictated by Geo. Reuter, Jr., Gen. Mgr. & Treas. N. T. A., stenographer.” To which Stinson wrote this reply: “ Boston, Dec. 6,1893. Geo. Reuter, Jr. My dear Sir: Yours of the 5th received. In reply would say that, while Waldron’s agreement is fulfilled, the machine is not ready to send to Woonsocket, as I am putting it in shape and running it in at my expense, as I told him I would do when he took it at $400. Will notify you when ready to ship, which will be some time this month. Meanwhile, if in Boston, kindly call on me, and oblige, Yours very truly, C. K. Stinson.” The defendants then paid the plaintiff the balance due under the contract. Work was afterwards done and materials were furnished by the plaintiff in changing and reconstructing the machine, for which he now claims $357.20. The only question in the case is whether this work was done under a contract with the defendant, express or implied.
The plaintiff was a witness in his own behalf, and he did not testify that Stinson ever said a word about employing him by authority of the defendant, or that he asked him to do work outside of the contract otherwise than under the arrangement stated in the letter from Stinson to Reuter, nor did he contradict the statement of the letter, that, when he took the contract at $400, Stinson told him he would put the machine in shape and run it in at his own expense. The other correspondence between Stinson and the defendant, as well as the oral testimony, tends to show that the defendant did not authorize the work to be done on the machine by the plaintiff at its charge beyond the work called for by the contract, and that Stinson, the inventor, was acting on his own account with its consent, in procuring extra work to be done by the plaintiff. We find nothing in the case that would have warranted a verdict for the plaintiff.
Judgment on the verdict.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- George F. Waldron v. American Wringer Company
- Status
- Published