Under the Wire

Partnerships. I will be the first to admit this is a strange title for an “Under The Wire.” Truth of the matter is, for some reason this morning while driving across our Sandhills pasture this subject popped into my mind. The more I thought about it, the more it demanded to be written. While it’s meaning really doesn’t need much explanation, I did decide to take down my dusty “New World Dictionary of The American Language” and see what it had to say. Surprisingly, the official definition gave rise to a whole bunch of odd partnerships I could recall.

“An association of two or more partners in a business enterprise,” was the official explanation. Memories of many odd combinations of partners I have personally been involved with plus others observed, opened the flood gates of partnership stories.

Partners usually sign legal documents concerning who would do what. When none of that happened, stories were created.

Watching the cattle brought out a memory of a partnership I had seen that avoided all the messes that could develop. Years ago I knew two old men who had been partners in a very good herd of Hereford cows for many years. I noticed all the older animals always had two brands while the calves only had one. “Why?” I asked them one day? The answer was simple and made sense. At branding one partner put his brand on all the calves. Since they ran the calves over to be sold later as yearlings. Before turning them out the second partner branded them all with his iron. Thus no animal could be sold without the consent of both. This was a great partnership.

I learned about not so great partnerships during my sale barn years. Many a cow trader approached me over the years, offering me the opportunity to “partner” with them on a load of cattle they were bringing to the barn. I was honored by their desire to bring me in until I learned a valuable lesson. Nobody is looking for a partner on a load of cattle that is going to make money. Why split a sure thing profit? Inversely, everyone wants as many partners as possible on a load of money losers. Don’t even want to think about what that lesson cost me.

I have been involved with a partner in a trucking company, cattle feeding operation and a meat market. All with the same gentleman, said description being the reason all worked out fairly well. He had no idea how to handle a scoop shovel, leaving the cattle feeding up to me. I, on the other hand, had no idea how to run a commercial business. That was his input. If our truck backed under our refer semi-trailer, what it did was his business. When it hooked onto our cattle pot, he deferred to my judgement. I honestly can’t remember how well that system worked but I got a letter from him the other day that did not include a summons so I guess we got along OK.

Another memorable partnership I watched but steered clear of, sort of, was a man who gathered up a slew of wealthy, successful business men to help him build and operate a business I will not elaborate on. The business flourished and employees were treated to bonuses and perks galore. Eventually the partners figured who was getting the biggest perks and left the table. Employee benefits began to disappear as did the employees themselves.

In order that this not end with nothing but negatives, I would like to invite any interested parties to join me in investing in four pot loads of cows coming off an unnamed ranch famous for midnight re-claiming of some of the already paid for cattle.

The guy who asked me to join him said this was a very good deal. He has never lied to me, although I did just meet him a couple of weeks ago. A friend who had bought from that ranch previously told me of a crooked horned, odd marked cow that he had bought at least four times before realizing what they were doing to him. Used the “block caller” feature on my iPhone for the first time yesterday. Decided I might have had enough partners for one lifetime!