A RANCHMAN'S RECOLLECTIONS 



had overlooked having them washed. One of the 

 most far-reaching works of the house of Swift & Co., 

 done by the great mind of G. F. Swift, consisted in 

 establishing the reputation for being "a good house 

 to do business with." That meant high standards in 

 products, fairness in adjusting claims, courtesy in 

 every individual, or, putting it another way, to quote 

 Marshall Field, "The customer is always right, even 

 when he is wrong." 



Mr. Swift's was the achievement of plodding per- 

 sistence, gained by inches rather than by brilliant 

 strokes, and the name of G. F. Swift will always be 

 enrolled among the greatest captains of American 

 industry. 



The greatest individuality that I have ever come 

 into contact with was that of Philip D. Armour. He 

 was a partner in the Kansas City house, but the two 

 houses were not consolidated until about the time I 

 came to Texas. My association was purely a busi- 

 ness one as against my intimate personal relation with 

 his nephew Kirk B. Armour; but the two houses en- 

 couraged a close relation between the men in Chicago 

 and those in Kansas City, resulting in frequent in- 

 terchanging visits. Philip D. Armour always had 

 the Kansas City men come into his office, and they 

 usually left it with their conceit pretty well abstracted, 

 and some very wise things to recollect. I know that 

 it sounds harsh to read of the persistent policy of the 

 Armours to "roast" their men, but as a matter of 



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