Porto Rico Sugar Co. v. Lorenzo, 222 U.S. 481 (1912)

Porto Rico Sugar Company v. Lorenzo


No. 154


Argued December 22, 1911
Decided January 9, 1912
222 U.S. 481

ERROR TO THE DISTRICT COURT
OF THE UNITED STATES FOR PORTO RICO

Syllabus

A contract will be read in the light of well known conditions; a contract made in Porto Rico to grind sugar cane will be presumed to be a contract to grind in the grinding season.

What the grinding season is in a particular locality may be established by parol evidence.

Nothing in the contract under consideration in this case takes it out of the ordinary rule that performance of an absolute undertaking is not excused by such occurrences as breaking of machinery, etc.

5 P.R.F. 96 affirmed.

The facts, which involve the construction of sugar grinding contracts in Porto Rico, are stated in the opinion. Plaintiff in error was defendant below.