South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-12-29
Statesmen Real
and Near.
By Fred c. Kelly

WASHINGTON, Dec 29.-In the
smoker Of a train between Philadel-
phia and Washington a few days ago
sat a large, abie-bodied man with d
smoothly-shaven face, a bald head.
and a square java jaw that is
cross between that of a gentleman
prize-fghter and an evangelist.
The. square-jawed man and a pros
porous looking passenger at his side
fell into conversation which soon
branched out and took in the business
outlook.
The prosperous looking passenger
remarked that while things are pick
ing up now, ne. as a manufactures,
had suffered considerable loss in the
last few months and was running
only twO-thirds of his plant
I'm a manufacturer myself in a
way" observed the sqUare-jawed
man, ''bUt I'm fortunate in having a
commodity for which there is always
a demand, no matter how dull the
times. l have never yet had a COM
plant against the quality of my
goods, never a dissatisfied customer
and about the only adverse comment
l hear regarding our product is that
there is not more Of it in use. Just
now I'm running a night shift and
am still behind in my orders ]
am"
You must have a MONOPOLY" cut
in the other manufacturer. What in
thunder do you make any howe"
81 make money" replied the
square jawed man. quietly
We'll, you ought to; but what's
your product" pursued the other
passenger.
my main product, as ! say, is
money" answered the square, awed
manufactures, as he handed his seat
mate a card. The card had on it
MIR. Joseph r. Ralph, Director
Bureau of Engraving and Printing"
You see Ralph, besides presiding
over the plant that makes our paper
money, is also a bit of a joker.
One evening few years ago,
Ralph pulled a roll of soiled-loOking
bills from his pocket and slipped out
a five spot to cash a friends check.
The cobbler's boy is the poorest
shod." quoth the friend.
Il don't quite make YOU" said
Ralph.
"The point is explained the
friend, that with all the nice new
money you make. you always carry
a lot Of old shOpwOrn bills for your
own use"
Ralph acted on the tip, and from
that day to this has rarely carried
anything but the crispest and crink-
lest Of new bills.
A trife more than 30 years 80 Jo-
seph Ralph was tOiling in q rolling
mill at Joliet Ill. where he had gone
TO work at the age of IL. and his sole
knowledge of engraved currency was
derived from a casual inspection Of
the few samples in his pay envelope
each SATURDAY. afternoon
Money vas scarce with Ralph at
that time, and he had little if any
idea that he would some day be our
leading manufacturer of money.
Then he visited WASHINGTON one
Cay, and Joe Cannon gave him job
at the house of representatives. while
on that job Ralph went to night
school and fitted himself to pass the
civil service examinations. In due
course he was assigned to the bureau
of engraving and printing because
of the knowledge OF hardening metals
he had acquired while laboring in the
rolling mills at Joliet. In Is years he
rose to the directorship of the big
money works.
one of Ralph's hobbies is the study
of human nature. He finds that no
examination or test really tells much
about a mans temperament, and so
he often relies largely on what he
can find out by looking into mans
face.
Some time ago a theft occurred in
one OF the departments of the bureau
Of engraving and no amount of
checking up was able 10 locate def
nitely the guilty person.
Ralph walked through the depart
ment. looked the employees over
thoroughly. and made up his mind
that the offender was one of two men
The difficulty then was 20 deter
mine which one. For a month or
more after that whenever visitors
were being shown through the plant
Ralph would arrange with some one
OF them to stop and stare al each of
the men under suspicion.
After a time the guilty mN grew
nervous. came TO Ralph. and con-
fessed.
"No man with a guilty conscience"
reasoned Ralph. could stand il To be
stared al by strangers day after day"
THE thing about the bureau of en-
craving and printing that makes il
unlike any other institution employ
ing labor" says Ralph. is that we
do not recognize the factor that il is
human TO err. Our system requires
absolute accuracy. Wen count a bill
lion stamps Of all kinds and not be
in error SO much as a single little
one-cent stamp"
Downright. 1914. by Fred c. Kelly.)