Varney v. McCluskey
Varney v. McCluskey
Opinion of the Court
This action of assumpsit is brought to recover damages for the alleged violation of a written agreement executed by the parties on the fifteenth day of May, 1913. By the agreement the
It is agreed that eighty-five per cent of the potatoes raised is 725 barrels and that the market price of Green Mountain potatoes of the character mentioned in the contract on the last days of March, 1914, was $1.75 per barrel.
At the trial plaintiff offered a memorandum book containing an entry made by defendant under date of November sixth, 1913, relative to the New Snow potatoes raised by him pursuant to the contract. . Subject to objection, the entry was allowed to be read to the jury. The entry read does not appear in the printed record and the book is not before us. It was agreed at the argument that the entry was in effect a recommendation of the potatoes produced. It was avowedly offered by plaintiff to “show my special market price of $5 pier barrel.”
It does not appear from the bill of exceptions nor from the report of the evidence, which is made part of the bill, that the ruling was erroneous and prejudicial. The agreement of parties as to the character of written evidence is not to be received in place of the evidence itself which was the subject of the ruling below. Without the writing, it cannot be determined if a ruling admitting or rejecting it be correct or not nor if its admission or rejection were
One Haines, called by the plaintiff, was permitted to testify, subject to objection and exceptions, that the market price of New Snow potatoes in May, 19x4, was five dollars per barrel, all the other witnesses called by plaintiff upon the question of damages having testified that the market price on the last days of March, 1914, was five dollars. The evidence was inadmissible; South Gardiner Lumber Co. v. Bradstreet, 97 Maine, 160, 170. It is impossible to determine how the jury reached its verdict. Whether it found, upon the one hand, that one hundred and forty barrels were ordered out and agreed to- be delivered on the thirtieth of March, and fixed the damages at two dollars and fifty cents per barrel, or, upon the, other hand that seven hundred and twenty-five barrels were seasonably demanded and cars provided to receive them, and fixed the damages at fifty cents a barrel, in either case making an allowance for interest. If the former, the evidence admitted was prejudicial to defendant. If the latter, the jury having disregarded the theory of plaintiff as to damages as well as the testimony of his witnesses as to market price, it was not. But it should not be overlooked that if a seasonable demand was made on the thirty-first day of March there is no evidence that plaintiff furnished cars on that day for the reception of the potatoes or that the parties agreed upon any substituted place or method of delivery.
Such being the case we think the exceptions must be sustained.
This conclusion renders it unnecessary to consider the motion for new trial.
Exceptions sustained.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Alden J. Varney v. Charles H. McCluskey
- Status
- Published