Magee v. Brown

This case involves the construction of certain written instruments. There is almost no law involved, save some general precepts, such as the one that we construe an ambiguous instrument against the draftsman, and so forth. The controversy arises out of a covenant not to compete. It came up in this way:

■ Plaintiff had been a traveling salesman, “selling-grocery items,” for some 11 years. Desiring to enter the hardware business (“I had always liked it”) he entered into negotiations for the purchase, from the defendants, of the property here under consideration. There seems to have been, on…