34 Kan. 316 | Kan. | 1885
The opinion of the court was delivered by
These facts appear to be undisputed: On April 7, 1880, David V. Findley chartered a box car from the Louisville, New Albany & Chicago Railway Company, in which to ship two horses and his household goods from Bloomington, Indiana, to Minneapolis, in this state. He
The rate on household goods from Kansas City to Minneapolis on the U. P. Railway was 17 cents per 100, and on the
“To facilitate the settlement of the country, the company has a rate for the transportation of household goods and farming utensils at about one-third of its regular rate; that the motive for giving this reduced rate is to enable persons of limited means to locate themselves in the unsettled part of the state at a moderate expense, with their household effects; and that a very low rate was made by the railway company over its road to influence and promote such settlement.”
The questions are: First, whether the potatoes, bacon, vinegar and salt are to be considered household goods; and second, if not, whether the contract executed between Findley and the Union Pacific Eailway Co. for the carrying of his household goods and two horses in the car of the Indianapolis & St. Louis Ely. Co. over its road from Kansas City or the state line to Minneapolis, covered the potatoes, bacpn, etc. Bouvier defines household goods to mean “everything of a permanent nature, (that is, articles of household which are not consumed in their enjoyment,) that are used or purchased, or otherwise acquired by a person for his house, but not goods in the way of his trade. Plate will pass by this term, but not articles of consumption found in a house, as malt, hops, or victuals.”. (Vol. 1, p. 758.) Abbott gives a like definition. (Law Diet., vol. 1, p.575.) Worcester calls the furniture of a house and utensils convenient for a family, “household stuff.” The evidence tended to show, and the jury found as a fact, that a part of the bacon, salt and vinegar transported in the car Findley sold, or endeavored to sell, after his arrival in Minneapolis.
The findings of the jury to question 2 and to a part of question 3 submitted, are not supported by the evidence, and these special findings being important, the verdict and findings ought to have been set aside and a new trial granted.
“Where a jury render a general verdict and make special findings by answering special questions submitted to them, and some of the special findings are not true, and some of the answers given to the special questions are so evasive and unsatisfactory as to lead to the belief that the party against whom the jury rendered their verdict did not have a fair and impartial trial, the verdict and findings should be set aside and a new trial granted.” (U. P. Rly. Co. v. Fray, 31 Kas. 739.)
The written contract of April 11, 1880, between Findley and the Kansas Pacific Rly. Co.— now the Union Pacific Rly. Co. — was the sole and only contract between the parties for
The judgment of the district court will be reversed, and the cause remanded for further proceedings.