Ranch Hand

An agent from The Texas Workforce Commission was checking up on some rural ranches, just south of here. The rumor was, this one farmer was not paying his help. The Workforce Commission sent out an agent.

Agent: I would like a list of your employees.

Farmer: Only got two. I pay the hired man $300 per week, plus a place to stay in the bunkhouse, and he gets every meal as part of his earning. He works about 35 hours in a week. Got records on him, numbers and everything. Then I have this one, mental defective works here, too.

Agent: that one, the mental defective? What does he do?

Farmer: he works about 18 hours a day, 7 days a week. Does, like, 90% of the work around here. He makes, maybe, ten bucks in a week, pays his own room and board. I buy him a bottle of whiskey some Saturday nights, and sometimes, he gets to sleep with my wife.