140 Wis. 85 | Wis. | 1909
The referee found, among other things, that the defendant was operating a street railway line along the 'highways of the city of Manitowoc and across the Manitowoc river upon a bridge; that in July, 1902, the superintendent of defendant, duly authorized, ordered of plaintiff certain appliances for use on the bridge; that the plaintiff accepted the order and immediately began work under, the contract; that about the second day after the appliances had been ordered the general superintendent and superior officer of defendant, with authority so to do, peremptorily ordered the work stopped if the job was to cost more than $75, but, notwithstanding, the plaintiff proceeded with the work and finished the job at a cost of $606.12; that defendant refused to pay any amount in excess of $75; that plaintiff applied to the common council of the city of Manitowoc and received permission to remove the appliances from the bridge, but never did remove them; that the appliances furnished were worth $606.12. And as conclusions thereon that the appliances were ordered by authority of defendant; that when ordered it was believed by the superintendent of defendant that they would cost not to exceed $75; that within two days after the order was given the order was canceled and the work ordered stopped unless the cost of the job was limited to $75; that the plaintiff elected to proceed with the job and elected and submitted to the condition and consented to do the job for $75; that the first contract was superseded by the second implied agreement; that by electing to proceed with the construction the plaintiff became bound by the limitation and cannot recover in excess of $75; and that plaintiff is entitled to recover the sum of $75.
The main contention of appellant is that, because a valid contract was made and no price fixed, he was entitled to com-
The theory obviously of the appellant is that the plaintiff, after the contract was made, had a right to proceed and complete it, notwithstanding the order of defendant to proceed no further. This is not the law. "While the contract remained executory the defendant had a right to stop the performance- on the part of plaintiff by subjecting itself to such damages as would compensate plaintiff for being stopped in the performance of the contract. Ward v. Am. H. F. Co., supra; Hamilton v. McPherson, 28 N. Y. 72; Johnson v. Meeker, 96 N. Y. 93; Hinckley v. Pittsburgh B. S. Co. 121 U. S. 264, 7 Sup. Ct. 875; Badger Slate L. Co. v. G. W. Jones L. Co., ante, p. 73, 121 N. W. 933.
The plaintiff on the trial, however, did not claim .damages on account of breach, but maintained his right to recover on the original contract for the value of the job completed, and the main question litigated appears to have been whether the original contract was modified so as to limit the cost of the
By the Court. — The judgment is affirmed. '