Princeton's Joe

Early in freshman year most Princetonians become acquainted with Joe's Restaurant, where many a common hall meal has been eked out with a "good Majestic sandwich" and chocolate milk shake. Since 1900 pudgy, kindly, swart Joe Sippley has maintained his short-order restaurant on Princeton's main thoroughfare, Nassau Street. Passing generations have eaten Joe's food, loafed in his premises, eyed his dark daughters, taken advantage of his standing offer to "cash a small check." Last week Princetonians everywhere were sorry to hear that Joe's would close.

Thirty years ago Joe was almost without competitors. But in recent years other, more modern and aggressive food dispensaries have come to town. Students can now buy the midnight sandwich from university agencies, a chain lunchroom, diners, drug stores. It is doubtful, however, if these newer establishments will ever duplicate the elaborate system of undergraduate finance which obtained at Joe's.

Because Joe was never very good at reading or understanding English, from time to time in the past he has cashed checks signed with the names of various campus buildings. A few years ago, a quiet, serious-looking student approached Joe with a check. Joe looked at the signature and exploded: "I've cashed checks for Nassau Hall and Blair Arch, but I'll be damned if I'll cash one signed John D. Rockefeller!"*

* John Davison Rockefeller III, Princeton 1929 (for it was he), is now secretary of the board of trustees of Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick's Riverside Church (TiME, Oct. 6).

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