Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-11-11
Capital Sidelights

"Lest we forget"-in the election
furry the old home town OF Joliet, Ill,
did not forget one of its most effective
catnpaigners of other years the late Joseph
q. Ralph. for many years director of the
Bureau OF Engraving and Printing.
whose sons are now prominent in bust
ness here. Under the caption, 'Joliets
Greatest Money Maker" the Spectator
paid tribute to Mr.. Ralph's memory as
follows:
Away back in the latter part of last
century young Joe Ralph worked in
the mills at Joliet. He was an ambitious
young fellow and when he got an OPP
portunity to go to Washington. he went
and got a Job in the boiler room of the
public buildings of the Nations Capital.
Believing that he needed more educa-
ton than he had. he studied nights and
then went to night school and was
finally sent over to the Bureau of En-
craving and Printing. BY and by he
became custodian of plates and dies, one
of the most responsible places in the
Government, and finally became super
intendent of the bureau.
The Bureau of Engraving and Print
ing is the department of the National
Government which makes all of the
postage and revenue stamps, the
bonds and the paper money of the
United States Paper money denomina-
lions run from 81 to $4,000, there be-
ing only few Of this latter denomina-
ton, the location of each of which is
pretty well known to the Government.
Postage stamps are turned out literally
by millions and millions; revenue stamps
are turned out in millions and the
amount of paper money made by that
department is incredible. The entire
structure of the paper currency of the
Government now rests in this bureau.
During Mr.. Ralph's administration 1t
was found that the old red brick build
ing which housed the department was
too small and too inconvenient, so, un-
der his guidance, the present magnif1-
cent building was built and stands to-
day as the most complete structure of
It's kind in the world. 1t contains every
convenience for the employees, including
a cafeteria, dance hall, rest and rec
reation rooms, tennis courts on the roof
and everything conducive to comfort.
No employe can leave the building at
night if the count-up shows even a
postage stamp missing They are
rarely kept there, however, owing to the
completeness of the system.
A piece of paper money contains on
its face blue stamp or SEAL ms Is
the seal of the Treasury Department,
without which the bill is not money.
Before Mr.. Ralph's administration the
bills had to be carted over to the
Treasury, where the stamp was affixed
but largely through his efforts the
Treasury officials transferred the seal
department to the Bureau of Engrav-
ing and Printing so that when the
paper money leaves that institution it
is money, good for its face value the
world over. Thus we can say that our
Joe Ralph was not only our greatest
money maker, but the greatest money
maker in the United States.
Mr.. Ralph left the Governments en-
ploy some years ago and became the
personnel adviser of the United States
Steel Corporation, which position he
held until his death. He was one OF
the most widely known public officials
in the world and was frequently con-
suited by foreign governments with
reference to their currency. But re-
CARELESS of his eminence, as long as
he lived, he always came home to Joliet
to vote at general elections. Another
of Joliets eminent men.