Burrows v. Petroleum Development Co.

This is an appeal by the defendant from a judgment against it for forty thousand dollars as damages for a breach of contract. The contract was one between the plaintiff Burrows and the defendant, and the other two plaintiffs are interested only as assignees of Burrows of partial interests under the contract. For simplicity in discussion, we shall treat the action as one by Burrows as sole plaintiff. The facts are:

In May, 1909, Burrows held five options for the purchase of adjoining tracts of land in the vicinity of the Kern County oil field. The land had not been explored for oil. Bach of the…