My grandfather reminisces about his ranching days on the great plains of the Western Unites States. He loves to retell the stories his grandfather told him about Ranching. Here’s one of his accounts of Old West Integrity.
“Cattle wandered freely because there were no fences in those days and many times the cattle from various ranches intermingled and wandered on another rancher’s land. The ranchers could easily identify their neighbor’s cattle; the calves were branded with the brand of the cows they followed.
In the fall, the cowboys would round-up the cattle to be sold as beef and if on a round-up a calf was passed by, the following year it would appear as an unbranded yearling, and was then called a Maverick. By the custom of the country, these Mavericks were branded with the brand of the rancher on whose range they were found.
One day I was rounding up our cattle from a neighbor’s range when I saw a newly hired cowboy who was building a fire to brand a Maverick he’d found on my neighbor’s land. He had roped the Maverick and had just placed the branding iron with my brand in the fire.
I said to him, “that would be so and so’s brand,” naming the man on whose range we happened to be. He answered “that’s alright boss; I know my business.” I said to him, “hold on, your putting on my brand.” To which he answered, “that’s alright, I always put on the bosses brand.” I answered; “oh, very well. Now you go straight back to the ranch and get whatever is owed to you; I don’t need you any longer.
He jumped up and said; “why, what’s the matter? I was putting on your brand.” And I answered; yes, my friend, and if you will steal for me then you will steal from me.”
Now, the same principle which applies in private life also applies in public life. If a public man tried to get your vote by saying he will do something wrong in your interest, you can be absolutely certain that if it ever becomes worth his while, he will do something wrong against your interest.”