Chambers v. United States
United States Court of Claims
The Reporters’ statement of the' case: The following are the facts as found by the court: I. In March, 1885, General Meigs, supervising engineer and architect of the new Pension Building in Washington, advertised for proposals for plastering to be done therein.
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The Reporters’ statement of the' case: The following are the facts as found by the court: I. In March, 1885, General Meigs, supervising engineer and architect of the new Pension Building in Washington, advertised for proposals for plastering to be done therein. The advertisement contained the following specifications, which were subsequently attached to the contract entered into by the parties, being that annexed to the petition : “ The United States will furnish the material for the plastering delivered at the store-rooms near the new Pension Building. ‘‘All the angles and corners are to be…
1Opinion of the CourtNott, J.
This is one of that numerous class of cases where the parties have left the intent of a formal and carefully prepared written contract doubtful to each other and to all the world, when the insertion of a single line in ordinary every-day language would have made the meaning clear and unmistakable.
Both parties knew of a.custom of long standing in the city of Washington, according to which, in the plastering trade, a plane surface is measured and computed as a simple surface; a curved surface is measured and computed as equal to double the quantity of plane surface included therein ; and the…
2Cases cited2 opinions
- Harvey v. United StatesSupreme Court of the United States · 1882
- Garrison v. United StatesSupreme Court of the United States · 1869
3Cited by3 opinions
- Peter Kiewit Sons' Co. v. United StatesUnited States Court of Claims · 1947
- Western Contracting Corp. v. United StatesUnited States Court of Claims · 1958
- Sheridan-Kirk Contract Co. v. United StatesUnited States Court of Claims · 1917