Johnston v. Filer
Johnston v. Filer
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The contract contemplates the avoirdupois ton of 2,240 pounds. This is distinctly specified in regard to each separate subject for which royalty is to be paid, viz: iron ore, coal and limestone. Two kinds of coal are provided for, screened block and screened bituminous, and no distinction is made between them as to roj’alty or as to the size of the mesh in the screen. There is no ground to infer any intended distinction as to the ton by which the royalty is to be measured. On the contrary the kind of ton being specified at the first mention of coal, the presumption is that it was intended to apply to all kinds of coal that were mentioned.
On the other question the contract provides “ the screenings to belong to the party of the second part free of charge,” and stipulates for a maximum screen. Whatever passes through that belongs to the defendants, and whether they put it all in the culm pile, or rescreen it and sell part as nut coal is no con
Judgment affirmed.
Reference
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- Contract—Mines and mining—Tons—Screenings. A mining company agreed to pay the owner of minerals “ ten cents for each ton of 2,240 pounds of merchantable iron ore, and ten cents for each ton of 2,240 pounds of merchantable screened block coal, and ten cents for each ton of merchantable screened bituminous coal, the screen used not to exceed one and one half inches, and the screenings to belong to the party of the second part, free of charge, and ten cents for each ton of 2,240 pounds of limestone.” Held (1) that a ton of 2,240 tons of “ merchantable screened bituminous coal ” was contemplated bythe contract, the presumption being that as a ton of that kind was specified at the first mention of the coal, it was intended to apply to all kinds of coal that were mentioned; (2) that whatever passed through a screen of one and one half inches belonged to the mining company, and it was immaterial if the company passed it a second time over a smaller mesh, and thus obtained a nut coal' which they could sell on the market.