Case Name: The Harriet S. Jackson. Virden v. The Harriet S. Jackson
Court: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1887-06-28
Citations: 32 F. 110
Docket Number: 
Parties: The Harriet S. Jackson. Virden v. The Harriet S. Jackson.
Judges: 
Reporter: Federal Reporter
Volume: 32
Pages: 110–110

Head Matter:
The Harriet S. Jackson. Virden v. The Harriet S. Jackson.
(District Court, E. D. Pennsylvania.
June 28, 1887.)
Pilots — Compulsory Pilotage — Evidence.
Where the evidence fails to show a refusal by the master of a vessel to accept the services of a pilot, whom, under the law, he was bound to employ, a libel filed by such pilot to recover the-value of services, which were never rendered, will be dismissed.
In Admiralty.
Henry Flanders, for respondent.
Henry Edmunds, for libelant.
Reported by C. Berkeley Taylor, Esq., of the Philadelphia bar.

Opinion:
Butler, J.
The evidence does not sustain the libel. It does not show that the master refused to take the libelant as pilot. On the contrary, it tends to show that he did npt. The conversation between the parties (relied upon by the libelant) seems to have been half jocular. It leaves the impression that Mr. Virden was simply teasing the master respecting the question' of pilotage, and that the master answered in the same vein, saying, "I will take you,''.while he knew that Mr. Virden, personally, would not go.
The libel must be dismissed, with costs.