Wyoming Central Irrigation Co. v. Burroughs
Wyoming Central Irrigation Co. v. Burroughs
Opinion of the Court
This action was brought, by the defendant in error, William N. Burroughs, against the plaintiff in error, Wyoming Central Irrigation Company, to recover damages for an alleged failure- of the company to furnish water for the irrigation of certain lands. The cause was tried to a jury which returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff below for $286.76, for which sum judgment was rendered in favor of said plaintiff and against said company. The company brings error.
The only grounds for reversal stated in the brief of counsel for plaintiff in error are, alleged, errors of the court in giving certain instructions to the jury, and in refusing to give certain instructions requested by plaintiff in error, and that the verdict is not sustained by* the evidence.
The lease is in writing, and by its terms Burroughs was to properly plow and level the land and seed the same with oats, to irrigate the crop, harvest the same and deliver to the company one half of the crop so raised. The part of the contract providing for water for such irrigation is as follows: “The said parties of the second part further agree to use the lateral ditches now constructed through and upon said land and to divert the necessary water therefrom for the irrigation of the above described land in such way and manner as not to interfere with the necessary and proper flow of water through said lateral ditches for the irrigation of - other lands held and controlled by the said party of the first part in sections 33, 34 and 35, Tp. 1 N., R. 4 E., W. R. M., and section 2, Tp. 1 S., R. 4, W, R. M.; provided, always, that they shall at all times during-the
“No 15. The court instructs the jury that under the evidence in the case, there is only an implied agreement on the part of the defendant to furnish and supply water to the plaintiff for the irrigation of his crops, and that under the circumstances, the defendant is only bound, to use reasonable care, caution and diligence to supply such water, and if the failure to supply water was caused by an act which could not reasonably be foreseen, and that the defendant was using such care and caution as a man of ordinary prudence would use in the management of his own affairs to protect the irrigating canal and to supply water to the plaintiff, then you are instructed that the plaintiff cannot recover and that your verdict must be for the defendant.” The court refused to so instruct, but instructed the jury on that point, that “it devolved upon the plaintiff to prove by a preponderance of the evidence in the case; * * * that by the terms of said lease he was to have a sufficient quantity of water to irrigate said lands and make the same available for crops; not to exceed two cubic feet per second.” The refusal to instruct as requested and the giving of 'the latter instruction are assigned as error. There was no error in refusing to give these instructions, neither' of them correctly construing the lease., We think the lease required the company to furnish in the ditches at all times when the same was necessary for irrigation of said crop, the water • necessary therefor, not to exceed two cubic feet'per second. He was to use the ditches of the company then on the land and was
It is also urged that the verdict is not sustained by the evidence. As is usually the case, when a disputed Cjuestion of fact is submitted to a court or jury for determination, there is a conflict in the evidence. The jury has passed upon the evidence and,the District Court has declined to set the verdict aside; and, as has so often been said, under such circumstances this court should not do so for the insufficiency of the evidence when it is conflicting, and where there is competent evidence to sustain the verdict. We find no prejudicial error in the record, and the judgment of the District Court, therefore, is affirmed.
Affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- WYOMING CENTRAL IRRIGATION COMPANY v. BURROUGHS
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published