Daily Archives: June 16, 2012

Aaron Hufford vs. the railroad

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Here’s a Hufford who helped to make the law:

Jackson Citizen; Feb. 15, 1887
Railroad Rules and Rights of Passengers
On Sept. 19, 1882, Aaron Hufford purchased a ticket at Manton, a station of the main line of the Grand Rapids & Indiana railroad, which the agent represented was good for a ride to Traverse City.  The ticket was part of an excursion ticket, good when first issued from Sturgis to Traverse City, and after purchasing it, Hufford, noticing that it was not like the tickets he had been accustomed to purchase, asked the agent if it was good, and was assured that it was.  He thereupon entered the cars, which moved off for Walton junction, nine miles north of Manton.  On presenting his ticket to the conductor, he was informed that he could not receive it for fare, whereupon Hufford stated to the conductor the facts as to its purchase and the statements of the agent, and refused to pay the fare a second time.  The conductor said the rules of the company would not allow him to take it and said he should put him off if he did not pay to the junction.  He [Hufford] then paid under protest and brought suit against the company. The supreme court has just decided in his favor.  The company was bound by the act of its agent and the conductor, on being apprised of the facts, should have allowed the man to ride.  People are not required to know what rules are made by a railroad company to govern its agents and employees, and cannot lose their rights in consequence of them.

Case is Hufford v. Grand Rapids & Indiana R’y Co., 64 Mich. 631, 31 N. W. Rep. 544.
Rule: Passengers on railroad trains are not presumed to know the rules and regulations which are made for the guidance of the conductors and other employes of railroad companies as to the internal affairs of the company, nor are they required to know them.

Aaron Hufford was son of Michael, son of Casper, son of Christian b. 1716 in Schwaigern, Germany.  Aaron was a traveling salesman.  He was the father of five children.  He married in 1868.  Before 1880, two sons had died, and he’d been taken to jail for a few days because he had tried to take custody of his young daughter from his ex-wife.  Aaron didn’t win many fights in his life, but he won the fight with the railroad.

He’s on page 177 of the 1909 Hufford Family History.  Here’s his page at findagrave.com: Aaron Hufford (1846-1915).

A “Don’t beat my kid” moment, from a Hufford dad

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Here’s an old “don’t beat my kid” moment from a Hufford dad.  It’s from Watertown Daily Times, Jan. 15, 1895:

Clayton, Ind, Jan. 15. — A whipping scrape occurred in the public school yesterday afternoon, which culminated in a general riot.  The principal, Miss Belle Mills, assisted by John Crowley, teacher in the grammar department, attempted to inflict punishment on Louis Hufford, a son of David Hufford, for disobedience.  The whipping was to take place immediately after the close of the afternoon session at 4 p.m.  As soon as school was dismissed, some pupils ran and told Hufford’s father and his brother, William, a blacksmith.  Immediately the father and the elder brother started for the school house, the father with a knife and the brother with an iron.  There was a general fight on their arrival.  Crowley was cut.  The father and brother of Hufford were beaten and knocked down a flight of stairs.  Young Hufford escaped during the excitement.

The dad, Enoch David Hufford, was a house carpenter.  He was 63 the day he went to the school to say, “You may not beat my kid!”  Young Louis was almost 16.  His brother the blacksmith was 21.

Enoch David Hufford was the father of eight children, and Louis was his youngest. Another of Enoch’s children was a school teacher.

Enoch David Hufford was son of Gideon, son of David, son of Daniel, son of Christian b. 1716 in Schwaigern, Germany.  There’s a photo of his grave marker here: Enoch David Hufford (1830-1900).

PAGE NOTE: Enoch David Hufford’s father was Gideon Hufford. Gideon’s younger brother Joel is at page 252 of the 1909 HUFFORD FAMILY HISTORY.