Algonquin Coal Co. v. Northern Coal & Iron Co.

162 Pa. 114, 29 A. 402 (1894)

From our private database of 46,300+ case briefs, written and edited by humans—never with AI.

Algonquin Coal Co. v. Northern Coal & Iron Co.

Pennsylvania Supreme Court
162 Pa. 114, 29 A. 402 (1894)

  • Written by Tanya Munson, JD

Facts

Prior to 1801, Thomas Wright owned the surface and subsurface of certain land. In 1801, Wright sold the land to Henry Courtright. Wright conveyed the land to Courtright with a deed that contained the clause that Wright reserved for “himself, his heirs and assignees, a free toleration of getting coal for their own use, without hindrance or denial.” An individual, Myers, acquired Courtright’s title by adverse possession. Myers transferred his interest to Northern Coal & Iron Co. (Northern Coal) (defendant). Algonquin Coal Co. (Algonquin) (plaintiff) was the assignor or holder of Wright’s title. Algonquin claimed that under the reservation clause of the deed, Algonquin had an exclusive right to mine all the coal. Northern Coal claimed that any right to take coal from the land was an incorporeal one to be exercised concurrently with Northern Coal’s right, and to no greater extent than may be necessary “for their own use.” The district court found in favor of Northern Coal. Algonquin appealed.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Williams, J.)

What to do next…

  1. Unlock this case brief with a free (no-commitment) trial membership of Quimbee.

    You’ll be in good company: Quimbee is one of the most widely used and trusted sites for law students, serving more than 816,000 law students since 2011. Some law schools even subscribe directly to Quimbee for all their law students.

  2. Learn more about Quimbee’s unique (and proven) approach to achieving great grades at law school.

    Quimbee is a company hell-bent on one thing: helping you get an “A” in every course you take in law school, so you can graduate at the top of your class and get a high-paying law job. We’re not just a study aid for law students; we’re the study aid for law students.

Here's why 816,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:

  • Written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students. 46,300 briefs, keyed to 988 casebooks. Top-notch customer support.
  • The right amount of information, includes the facts, issues, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents.
  • Access in your classes, works on your mobile and tablet. Massive library of related video lessons and high quality multiple-choice questions.
  • Easy to use, uniform format for every case brief. Written in plain English, not in legalese. Our briefs summarize and simplify; they don’t just repeat the court’s language.

Access this case brief for FREE

With a 7-day free trial membership
Here's why 816,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:
  • Reliable - written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students
  • The right length and amount of information - includes the facts, issue, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents
  • Access in your class - works on your mobile and tablet
  • 46,300 briefs - keyed to 988 casebooks
  • Uniform format for every case brief
  • Written in plain English - not in legalese and not just repeating the court's language
  • Massive library of related video lessons - and practice questions
  • Top-notch customer support

Access this case brief for FREE

With a 7-day free trial membership