Case Citation
Legal Case Name

MINNEAPOLIS, &C., R'Y v. COLUMBUS R'G MILL Case Brief

Supreme Court of United States1886
119 U.S. 149 7 S.Ct. 168 30 L.Ed. 376 Contracts

Why Top Law Students (And Those Aspiring to Be) Use LSD+ Briefs

Let's be real, law school is a marathon. Our exclusive Flash-to-Full case system is designed by Harvard Law School and MIT grads to match your pace: Quick summaries when you're slammed, detailed analysis when you need to go deep. Only LSD+ offers this kind of flexibility to genuinely fit your study flow.

Adaptive Case Views

Toggle between Flash, Standard, and Expanded. Get what you need, when you need it.

Exam-Ready IRAC Format

We deliver the precise structure professors look for in exam answers.

Complex Cases, Clarified

We break down dense legal reasoning into something digestible, helping you grasp core concepts.

Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
3 min read

tl;dr: A railway company’s attempt to accept an offer for iron rails by ordering a smaller quantity than offered was deemed a rejection. The court held the company could not later accept the original offer, as its counteroffer had terminated it.

Legal Significance: This case is a classic illustration of the common law “mirror image rule,” establishing that an acceptance varying any material term of an offer constitutes a counteroffer and a rejection, thereby terminating the original offer.

MINNEAPOLIS, &C., R'Y v. COLUMBUS R'G MILL Law School Study Guide

Use this case brief structure for your own legal analysis. Focus on the IRAC methodology to excel in law school exams and cold calls.

Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

On December 8, Columbus Rolling Mill (defendant) offered to sell Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway (plaintiff) between 2,000 and 5,000 tons of iron rails at a specified price. The offer stipulated that if accepted, the defendant expected notification prior to December 20. On December 16, the plaintiff responded via telegram and letter, directing the defendant to “enter our order for twelve hundred tons rails, as per your favor of the eighth.” The defendant, on December 18, sent a telegram declining to fulfill the order. The following day, December 19, the plaintiff sent another telegram attempting to accept the original offer for 2,000 tons of rails. The defendant refused to ship any rails, and the plaintiff sued for breach of contract.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: Does a reply to an offer that purports to accept it, but modifies a material term such as quantity, operate as a rejection of the original offer, thereby terminating the offeree’s power of acceptance?

Yes. The plaintiff’s communication on December 16, which varied the quantity of Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit e

Master Every Case Faster

Unlock premium legal analysis that helps you quickly understand complex cases, designed by Harvard Law and MIT graduates. It's about working smarter, not just harder.

Start 14-Day Free Trial

Thousands of students are already saving time and gaining clarity. Why not you?

IRAC Legal Analysis

Premium Feature Unlock

Complete IRAC Analysis for Higher Grades

IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion) is the exact format professors want to see in your exam answers. Our exclusive Flash-to-Full briefs combine holding, analysis, and rule statements formatted to match what A+ students produce in exams. These structured briefs help reinforce the essential legal reasoning patterns expected in law school.

Legal Issue

Does a reply to an offer that purports to accept it, but modifies a material term such as quantity, operate as a rejection of the original offer, thereby terminating the offeree’s power of acceptance?

Conclusion

This case provides a clear and enduring precedent for the common law Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim

Legal Rule

A proposal to accept, or an acceptance, upon terms varying from those Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis

Legal Analysis

The Court's analysis rests on the fundamental contract principle of mutual assent, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irur

Flash-to-Full Case Opinions

Flash Summary

  • An acceptance must be a “mirror image” of the offer; any
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat n

Master Every Case Faster

Unlock premium legal analysis that helps you quickly understand complex cases, designed by Harvard Law and MIT graduates. It's about working smarter, not just harder.

Start 14-Day Free Trial

Thousands of students are already saving time and gaining clarity. Why not you?