Chicago, Milwaukee St Paul Railway Company v. Heman Clark

• Citation: 44 L.Ed. 1099,178 U.S. 353,20 S.Ct. 924
• Decision Date: 28 May 1900
• Docket Number: No. 256,256
• Parties: CHICAGO, MILWAUKEE, & ST. PAUL RAILWAY COMPANY, Petitioner , v. HEMAN CLARK
• Court: U.S. Supreme Court

178 U.S. 353

20 S.Ct. 924

44 L.Ed. 1099

CHICAGO, MILWAUKEE, & ST. PAUL RAILWAY COMPANY, Petitioner,

v HEMAN CLARK.

No. 256.

Argued April 20, 23, 1900.

Decided May 28, 1900.

Heman Clark constructed some 200 miles of railroad in the states of Iowa and Missouri, for the Chicago, Milwaukee, & St. Paul Railway Company, under a written contract dated March 6, 1886, which is set forth in the findings hereafter referred to. During the period of construction the company paid Clark large sums of money on account. After the road was completed the chief engineer of the company, as was his duty under the contract, certified to the total amount that Clark had earned under the contract. This amount was $3,895,798.79. But Clark claimed also the further sum of $34,598.90 for material sold by him to the company, and certain rebates and other matters of that description, which would make the aggregate $3,930,397.69. As to the amount that should be credited to the company, the company claimed credits to the amount of $3,716,865.20, while Clark contended that the total amount that should be credited was $3,667,306.59, or $49,558.63 less than the amount claimed by the company. This latter amount was made up of two items: one of $40,000, for overtime forfeiture or penalty, and the other of $9,558.63, the amount paid by the company for nut locks furnished to Clark, and used by him in the construction of the road. The company prepared an account stated, which allowed the $34,598.50, on one side of the account, and included the $40,000 and the $9,558.63, on the other, and appended to it a release for Clark to sign, if he accepted the balance therein stated. The account stated and release were sent to him with notice that upon signing and returning the same to the vice president of the company, a check for the balance shown by the account to be due would be sent to him. Immediately thereupon, on March 9, 1888, the account and release were returned by Clark to the vice president, signed and witnessed, and a check for the full amount of such balance, $173, 532.29, was at once delivered to Clark, who indorsed, and deposited it in his bank, and received the proceeds thereof.

August 5, 1893, Clark commenced this action against the railroad company to recover amounts which he claimed to be due him on account of the construction of the road, and for extra work and other claims growing out of the contract. The complaint originally contained three causes of action, but by amendment the number was increased to six. The second, third, fourth, and sixth causes of action, and part of the first cause, were eliminated from the case by the judgment, and Clark recovered on the two items of $40,000 and $9,558.63 under the first cause of action, and also under the fifth cause for $2,425, a matter arising subsequent to the release, and not included within it.

The action was originally brought in the state court, but was removed on the application of the company to the circuit court of the United States for the southern district of New York. After issue was joined, the cause came on for trial at a regular term of the circuit court. Trial by jury was waived by written consent of the parties, filed with the clerk, and the cause was referred to a referee, who in due time made his report and findings. The court adopted the findings of the referee and ordered judgment thereon for the sum of $80,479.35. This judgment was subsequently affirmed by the circuit court of appeals. 92 Fed. Rep. 968, 35 C. C. A. 120.

The findings of fact and conclusions of law of the referee were as follows:

'Findings of Fact.

'1. That in the month of March, 1886, the defendant, the Chicago, Milwaukee, & St. Paul Railway Company, made and entered into a contract in writing with the plaintiff, dated the 6th day of March, 1886, for the construction of a line of railroad from a point in the city of Ottumwa, Iowa, to a place called Harlem Station, in the state of Missouri, a distance of about 202.8 miles, to be completed on the 1st day of August, 1887, a copy of which contract is hereto annexed, marked 'A.'

'2. That immediately after the execution of the said contract the plaintiff proc eeded to carry out and perform the same, and did carry out and perform the same, except a portion thereof otherwise agreed between the parties, and substantially completed the same on or about the 1st day of November, 1887, and the same was duly accepted by the defendant on or about the first part of March, 1888.

'3. That on or about the 3d day of March, 1888, the chief engineer in charge of said work under said contract made a final certificate and estimate, which is copied in full in the twentieth and twenty-first findings of fact last asked by the defendant, and by this reference is made part hereof.

'4. That said certificate and estimate were delivered to the defendant, but were never delivered to the plaintiff or any of his agents, and were not seen by the plaintiff or any of his agents or brought to his knowledge otherwise than by the reference thereto in the receipt of March 9, 1888, hereinafter referred to, until the trial of this action.

'5. That the consideration for the performance of said contract originally mentioned in said contract was $3,914,600, but before the execution of said contract by the plaintiff, by and with the consent of the defendant, the consideration was changed and made $3,954,600.

'6. That the plaintiff made and entered into a supplemental contract whereby he agreed with the defendant to complete his performance of said contract on or before June 1, 1887, and to allow the said defendant, by way of forfetu re, in case the said railway were not so completed by the lst of June, 1887, the sum of $40,000.

'7. That the defendant failed to furnish the plaintiff with rights of way as by said contract it had agreed to do in time to enable the plaintiff to complete his contract prior to the 1st of June, 1887, or prior to the 1st of August, 1887, but, on the contrary, delayed the plaintiff in the performance of said contract at a point upon the said road known as Minneville until October 27, 1887, by reason of the neglect, failure, and omission of the defendant to obtain the necessary right of way at said point so as to permit the construction of the road and completion of the contract at said point.

'8. That the plaintiff was thereby prevented from completing his contract on or prior to August 1, 1887, and also on or prior to June 1, 1887, by the negligence, omission, and fault of the defendant.

'9. That during the progress of the work the defendant purchased and furnished to the plaintiff and charged him for patented nut locks, for which the defendant paid $9,558.63.

'10. That the said nut locks so furnished by the defendant were used by the plaintiff in the construction of the road.

'11. That there are no provisions in the contract which require that the plaintiff, and the plaintiff never agreed that he, should use in the construction of the railroad under said contract, any patented nut locks.

'12. That the plaintiff was ordered by defendant to put such nut locks on the road at the beginning of the work. That he protested against their use, and finally yielded and used them in track laying upon the promise that the matter of the charge for said nut locks should be adjusted after the completion of the contract.

'13. That upon the 9th day of March, 1888, the plaintiff signed and caused to be delivered to a representative of the defendant a paper, writing, or receipt presented to him by the defendant for signature, of which the following is a copy; and upon the signature thereof by said Clark, and its delivery by him to the defendant, the plaintiff was paid by the said defendant the said sum named therein of $213,532.49, less the sum of $40,000 claimed in said paper to be retained for forfeiture in not completing performance of his work under said contract on or prior to June 1, 1887, and the sum of $3,626,865.20 included therein embraces said sum of $9,558.63 claimed by defendant to be due for nut locks. Said $40,000 was deducted, and the actual amount so paid was $173,532.49.

'Whereas, a final estimate has been made by D. J. Whittemore, chief engineer of the Chicago, Milwaukee, & St. Paul Railway Company, of all the work done and material furnished under the contract made between said railway company and Heman Clark, bearing date March 8, 1886, for the construction of the railroad from Ottumwa, in Iowa, to the Missouri river, including all extra work performed and material furnished of every kind and description, which estimate, with prior monthly estimates, less deductions made for work not done and work assumed by said company, amounts to $3,895,798.79;

'And whereas, the further sum of $34,598.90 should be credited to said Clark for materials sold by him to said company, and certain rebates and other matters of that description, making, with the amount of said estimates, the sum of $3,930,397.69;

'And whereas, the said Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company has paid the said Clark to apply on said contract, in money, material, labor, and transportation, the sum of $3,626,865.20;

'And whereas, by the terms of § 4, article 13, of said contract, said Clark was to be charged in addition for transportation the sum of $50,000;

'And by a supplemental contract was to allow the said railway company, by way of forfeiture in case said railway was not completed by the 1st day of June, 1887, the further sum of $40,000;

'Making the amount paid on said contract, together with the allowance of said transportation and the allowance of said forfeiture, the sumof $3,716,865.20;

'Leaving the amount still due said Clark on said contract the sum of $213,532.49.

'And whereas, in and by said contract it was provided that the said Heman Clark, party of the first part, should save the said railway company free and harmless from all claims that might be made against...