More v. Milwaukee Monument Co.
More v. Milwaukee Monument Co.
Opinion of the Court
The appellant attacks all 'of the items of alleged extra work allowed to the plaintiffs by the referee, amounting to $831, except two items thereof, aggregating $125; and the first question to be considered is as to the correctness of the items so challenged. Two of these items in dispute, amounting to $500, are for the extra expense of carving five* stones at $100 each; and the remaining three items, amounting to $206, are for six alleged extra stones under the catacombs and the cutting and joining thereof. The plaintiffs claim, and the court found, that all of these items were properly extras and not included in the contract.
As to the alleged extra stone, under the catacombs, we can entertain no doubt that the testimony is entirely insufficient. The contract was to furnish stone in accordance with the
As to the claim for $500 for alleged extra carving upon five stones, different considerations apply; but we conclude that the evidence fails to support this claim also-. Upon the blueprints carving was indicated upon these stones by fine white lines and tracery, which, however, were only intended to indicate generally the character of the carving, and not intended to constitute a distinct drawing from which the carving could be done, nor did they in fact do so. This is very certain from the evidence and from inspection of the blue-prints themselves. They indicated simply that there was to be carving of a certain general character, and that there must be further detailed drawings and models before it could be executed.
It appears without dispute that two granite vases included in the contract were broken in transportation; but no allowance was made to the defendants, on the ground that the defendant had failed to show any liability on the part of the-plaintiffs for them. We have not been able to understand the-theory of this disallowance. The vases were a part of the contract, and were to be delivered at Layton Park. The plaintiffs have received credit for the entire contract price, which, of course, includes the price of the vases. They were-delivered in a broken condition, and could not be used until repaired. The evidence showed without dispute that the cost, of repairing was $90, and presumably this was the reasonable cost. It did not appear that the railroad company made good the breakage. Under these circumstances there was nothing-further necessary to be shown by the defendant. The plaintiffs had failed to perform that part of their contract which required them to deliver perfect vases, and the defendant was clearly entitled to a deduction from the contract price of the-.
As to tbe claim of defendant to recover $1,159.27 for recut-■ting a part of tbe stone on account of alleged defective cutting thereof by tbe plaintiffs, we find ourselves unable to say that tbe clear preponderance of tbe evidence is against tbe findings •of tbe referee and court. While there is much evidence to ■support tbe claim, there is also considerable evidence, and some of it quite persuasive in its character, in support of tbe ■findings.
Tbe appellant’s brief is unnecessarily long. It consists of more than ninety pages, and reprints a large part of tbe evidence. Tbe questions involved are merely questions of fact, and Eule IX of tbe rules of this court provides that “no extended discussion upon a mere question of fact will be permissible in any brief or at tbe bar, but tbe brief must refer io the printed case, where all tbe evidence bearing upon such leading facts or conclusions may be found.” This rule was intended to prevent tbe reprinting in the-brief of tbe evidence which has once been printed at length in tbe case, and to substitute therefor accurate references to tbe pages of tbe case where tbe evidence relied on may be found. Under tbe present law, which limits tbe amount to be allowed for printing to 150 pages (Laws of 1905, cb. 365, sec. 1), tbe redundancy of tbe brief is of no moment, because tbe case contains more than that number of pages; but tbe infraction of tbe rule is noticed for tbe purpose of calling tbe attention of tbe bar generally to tbe proper construction of tbe rule.
Tbe judgment must be modified by reducing tbe plaintiffs’ •allowance for extra work by tbe sum of $706, and making an additional allowance to tbe defendant of $90 on its counter-■41 aim for tbe broken vases, leaving tbe amount of plaintiffs’ judgment $820.40, with interest from October 11, 1896, to the date of tbe judgment, and costs, in the trial court as taxed,
By the Court. — Judgment modified as indicated in the opinion, and affirmed as so modified, with costs to the appellant.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- More and another v. Milwaukee Monument Company
- Status
- Published