The petition set out a cause of action; and the demurrers, general and special, were properly overruled.
The averments of the petition material to the question at issue are substantially as follows: The defendant is a corporation "subject to the jurisdiction of this court in this cause. . . On or about the 7th day of October, 1937, the Southeastern Fair opened *Page 185 at Lakewood Park, in Atlanta, Georgia. Defendant . . was exhibiting a washing machine in a building in which similar appliances were being exhibited at said fair. Defendant . . had a booth at said fair containing appliances on exhibit for the purpose of attracting trade in defendant corporation. . . David Podhouser, in company with his father, Joseph H. Podhouser, was walking through said building, and they were invited by the attendant at said booth into said booth for the purpose of seeing a washing machine demonstrated. The attendant . . was an employee of defendant . . [and] at said time was being paid a salary by defendant [and] in all of his actions herein described was acting as the agent of defendant corporation. Defendant . . , by its said agent, having invited petitioner and his said father into said booth, began to exhibit said washing machine and its operations to petitioner's . . father, at the same time talking to petitioner's said father and directing his attention to the said washing machine which was then in operation. The said actions of defendant . . were for the purpose of inducing petitioner's . . father to purchase a washing machine from defendant corporation. At said time and place, and in said booth, there was another washing machine and wringer maintained and operated by defendant a short distance away from the said washing machine which was thus being demonstrated to petitioner's father and which was placed in said booth by defendant . . to be operated for profit. Said other machine at said time had a wringer attached thereto with a sign thereon with the name of the machine written upon paper wrapped about the rolls of the said wringer. The said last-mentioned washing machine had the current so cut on that the wringer was operating, although the said wringer, at said time, was not being demonstrated. The said wringer consisted of two rollers, situated closely together and made of hard rubber or some other hard material, and operating at a rate of speed such as would pull the fingers, hand and arm of any person through said wringer if such person should touch the said rollers. The said rollers were attractive to children because of their revolutions; because of the fact that they were moving; and because of the letters and writing thereon which were turning; and because same was displayed without any guard or without any warning at a public place where defendant . . knew that children were invited to come. While petitioner *Page 186 and his said father were in said booth, and while the said father's attention was directed as aforesaid, petitioner placed his hand upon the said sign which was revolving upon the said wringer, and his hand was caught therein and violently drawn through said wringer, and his arm was pulled into said wringer up to the elbow, causing him great pain, suffering and damage, as will be hereinafter alleged. The said day was children's day, and defendant corporation knew and expected and invited children to come upon the said premises for the purpose of viewing, along with their parents, the said machines. Under the circumstances herein alleged, petitioner was an invitee upon the said premises [and] . . was an invitee in his inspection of the said machine. Defendant . . , by its said agent (whose name petitioner can not for lack of sufficient information allege), failed to watch the movements of petitioner or to cut off the said machine or to otherwise guard or protect petitioner from the danger caused from the operation of said wringer. Petitioner's father did not know that said wringer was in operation until after petitioner received the injuries herein set forth, and petitioner's father had no reason to believe that any dangerous instrumentality or any instrumentality attractive to children and likely to do harm to children was in operation at said time. The said wringer should not have been in operation, and it was negligence for same to be in operation under the said circumstances. The said wringer was an attractive nuisance and a device dangerous for children, and was maintained at a height of approximately 36 inches from the floor and well within the reach of children. . . Defendant . . was negligent, which negligence was the sole, direct and proximate cause of the injuries and damages herein alleged . . , in the following specifications: (a) In maintaining the said attractive nuisance and dangerous device for children at a height within reach of the hands of children, and in a manner when the machine was dangerous and attractive to children who might come into said booth. (b) In continuing the operation of the said wringer without the attendant being in position to watch the same and without it being demonstrated and without keeping any watch or guard to prevent it from harming children. (c) In operating the said machine without any guard to prevent children from coming in contact with it. As the sole, direct and proximate result of the said negligence, petitioner received *Page 187 the following injuries, to wit: [here the alleged injuries are enumerated at length]. Petitioner at said time was eight years old and did not know and did not realize that there was any danger to him in doing what he did."
The defendant demurred to the petition: (1) Because "same does not set forth a cause of action against this defendant." (2) Because the facts alleged in the petition show that "plaintiff's injuries . . were the direct [result] of the contributory negligence of . . plaintiff." (3) Because "the washing machine described in the petition was not in law such a device as would attract children to it." (4) Because "the age of the child . . would permit him to know that by doing the acts plaintiff did, as set out in the petition, would result in the injuries as alleged that . . plaintiff received." (5) Because, "if said child . . had been in the exercise of ordinary care, the said child . . would not have sustained the alleged injuries." (6) Because "the operation of . . said clothes wringer, as described, was being properly operated, and was not such an attractive device as would cause the plaintiff to be attracted to it and receive the injuries."
In Petree v. Davison-Paxon-Stokes Co.,
In our opinion, the instant petition sets out a stronger case for the plaintiff than did the petition in the Petree case. In that case, this court, on page 492, said: "There is no allegation that the child was invited to the store, and no facts are set forth from which an invitation to a child of its age could be implied. The visit of the mother was for the purpose of making a purchase for herself and not for the child. Its presence was merely the choice of the mother, for the pleasure or convenience of herself or the child." In this case the petition alleges that the defendant, through its authorized agent, and for the purpose of trying to sell the plaintiff's father one of its machines,expressly and orally invited the plaintiff and his father into its place of business, where the alleged attractive and dangerous machine was being operated, and it was a question for a jury to determine whether, under the circumstances set forth in the petition, the machine was of such a character that the defendant, in the exercise of ordinary diligence, should not have maintained it at the place and in the manner alleged. In the Petree case, on page 497, the court said: "The cases of Miller v. Peck Dry Goods Co.,
Judgment affirmed. MacIntyre and Guerry, JJ., concur. *Page 191
