Converse

We are confronted in this one case, with six—in reality thirteen—appeals, each one taken by the plaintiff. The first notice of appeal was filed October 23, $956; the latest, December 4, 1957. (Appellant’s closing brief was filed July 29, 1959.) We find no one of the appeals to have merit, nor to present problems that justify, in themselves, the space in law libraries that this opinion will take. But, that we may give other than lip service to the provision of article VI, section 24, of our Constitution, directing that we always state in writing the grounds of our decisions, we shall deal with each appeal at greater length than we otherwise would.

In order the more readily to make understandable the problems to be considered, we pause to give the underlying plot of plaintiff’s case. There are three principal characters: Melville E. Joslin, the president of the Joslin Lumber Company, and owner of one share in that corporation; his mother-in-law, Alameda A. Converse, owner of 518 shares, and first vice-president; and Ploma Joslin, daughter of Alameda and wife of Melville, who was committed to Camarillo State Hospital in 1940. Apparently, we need not know, no shares were issued to…