Kenedy Mercantile Co. v. Western Union Telegraph Co.
Kenedy Mercantile Co. v. Western Union Telegraph Co.
Opinion of the Court
On July 25, 19.11, at 2:45 p. m., Weld-Neville Cotton Company sent from Houston, Tex., by the Western Union Telegraph Company, to the Kenedy Mercantile Company, at Kenedy, Tex., a message in code, which translated means:
“Our limit to you is 13 cents basis middling. Landed Houston, Houston weights and classification. Shipment to be made this week.”
The Kenedy Mercantile Company, on the same day, deposited with the telegraph company at Kenedy, Tex., a return telegram also in code which translated is, as to body:
“Book us 50 bales at 13 cents basis middling, landed Houston.”
Appellant, the mercantile company, alleges that it shipped 50 bales of cotton to Weld-Neville Cotton Company in compliance with said message, but that the telegraph company failed to transmit and deliver its said message to Weld-Neville Cotton Company, and that on account of the failure to promptly transmit and deliver said message appellant lost the sale of said 50 bales of cotton at 13 cents basis middling and afterwards on July 31, 1911, learned for the first time that the telegram of appellant had not been delivered to Weld-Neville Company, and sold said cotton on the last-named date at 11% cents per pound, basis middling, which was the best price that could be obtained for said cotton at said time. The difference between 13 cents and 11% cents per pound was claimed as damages against the telegraph company. The court, after hearing the evidence, instructed the jury to return a verdict for the appellee, telegraph company, which was done, and the Mercantile Company has appealed.
“The authorities are well-nigh unanimous in asserting that, when a party submits to another through the mail a proposition of purchase or sale, the receiver of the proposition has the right withi’n a reasonable time and before it is withdrawn to accept by writing deposited in the post office duly stamped, ready for carriage and delivery, and such an acceptance binds the proposer of the contract from the time the deposit is made in the postoffice, whether it be delivered or not. Blake v. Insurance Co., 67 Tex. 163 [2 S. W. 368, 60 Am. Rep. 15]; Bryant v. Booze, 55 Ga. 445; Levy v. Cohen, 4 Ga. 13; Moore v. Pierson, 6 Iowa, 292 [71 Am. Dec. 409]; Vassar v. Camp, 11 N. Y. 441; Hunt *1095 v. Higman [70 Iowa, 406], 30 N. W. 769; Hallock v. Insurance Co., 26 N. J. Law, 280; Dunlop v. Higgins, 1 H. L. C. 397. Any number of authorities to the same effect might be added.” Western Union Tel. Co. v. Davis (Civ. App.) 35 S. W. 189; Postal Tel. Co. v. Cotton Co., 140 Ky. 506, 131 S. W. 277; 9 Cyc. p. 295; Burton v. U. S., 202 U. S. 344, 26 Sup. Ct. 688, 50 L. Ed. 1057, 6 Ann. Cas. 362; Beach on Mod. Law of Contracts, vol. 1, p. 82; Lucas v. Tel. Co., 131 Iowa, 669, 109 N. W. 191, 6 L. R. A. (N. S.) 1016; Simkins on Contracts, p. 15; W. U. Tel. Co. v. Connell Land Co. (Civ. App.) 128 S. W. 1162.
Appellant’s remedy was against the Weld-Neville Company.
The assignments will be overruled, and the judgment affirmed.
Reference
- Cited By
- 10 cases
- Status
- Published