As of the ending of season 3, did Jamie do the right thing as far as being able to save the ranch absolutely, everyone beth and Jamie both said that if something was not drastically changed in the next 2 years the ranch would have been sold off anyways. When jamie said in the first season that he increased the ranch by 200,000 acres I believe him so the little bit that will be lost won't amount to much in the bigger picture. So now that we know that Jamie is different then his siblings which under these circumstances that we have been told doesn't seem like the two people that Jamie call father aren't much different from what I see. When John confronted Jamie after Beth spilled the beans is absolute bullshit, there would have been no doubt in my mind that John would have sent someone to the train station or Beth would have been shunned for ever. John is a hypocrit when it comes to his idea of turning over a new leaf at this time is his life, John is a stone cold heartless man who would cut your throat if he was shorted on a deal which is exactly what Rip is.