Phoenix tribune., 1919-05-31
WROTE
INTERESTING SKETCH
OF HIS LIFE-WORK

In 1895 Julian Ralph was trying to
sketch of Theodore Roosevelt, then
police commissioner of New York. Mr.
Roosevelt lodged for some time, but
finally consented and wrote Ralph a
letter outlining his life up to that time
with Rooseveltian directness and
charm. That letter recently was pub
lished for the first time in an article
by George H. Sargent in the Boston
Transcript. 1t is here reprinted:
Police Department, New York, N Y
Theodore Roosevelt, President
July 11th, 1895.-Julian Ralph, Esq,
513 Seventh Avenue, Asbury Park,
N. j.:
My Dear Mr. Ralph:
/. 1 married Edith Kermit Carow
in 1886. M siM
2. l have five children, three boys
and two girls.
8. My city address is $50 Madison
avenue; but that is not my house, the
only house l own is in the country
and is called Sycamore Hill. 1t is at
Oyster Bay, Long Island
4. l spend all of my time at Saga
more Hill, excepting when I am Off
cially engaged Prior to 1885 l spent
most of my time when was not in
the legislature on my ranch at Me.
dora on the Little Missouri in western
North Dakota. Since then have had
time only to make trip once a year
for fortnight or month. or maybe
six weeks, to my ranch or to the
Rockies
To my mind, Sycamore Hill is as
lovely home as there is in the Unit
ed States, although it is a perfectly
simple one All of my children were
born there.
| My hunting trophies and the heads
of the big game l shot hang on the
walls, in the halls, in the dining room
and in the library.
In the cool fall weather I sit in the
hall or the library by the big fireplace,
where the hickory and oak logs crack
and the fire dances and shines over
the elk, moose and buffalo heads OH
the wall and the bear-skins on the
/ floor. You must come out and see
for yourself
I have library of about four thou
sand volumes. l think it is especially
good in hunting books, out-of-door
books, and in English poetry and
American history; (by English poetry.
l, of course, include American). In
hunting books, and books of outdoor
life, in the fields and woods, think it
is without question the best library
in the country.
| have not got very many pictures;
still there are some fine engravings of
Lincoln, Grant, Washington and Ham
ilton, and two or three reproductions
of the old Dutch painters
l have some pretty good bronzes,
! the best being some vases and some
panther, bison and deer figures by
Kemys, the American sculptor
My house stands on the hill over
looking the bay and the sound; from
the corner of the broad veranda
(where l always have plenty of rock
ing chairs) you can see out for score
of miles across stretches of land and
water. l do not think there can be
lovelier view than this at sunset.
In the top of my house 1 have my
big gunroom, and half of my books
are there, too; the others are down tr
my library, which is my favorite sit
ting place, for it has huge fireplace
at one end, and above it the horns of
mountain sheep, mountain goat and
prong horn antelope
| was born in my fathers house, 2S
East Twentieth street, New York. For
eight generations my fathers people
have lived in this city, so that we are
about as distinct New York family
as can be found
Originally they lived on the Bat
terry, then in Roosevelt street, which
was then our big farm. We gradually
moved uptown, and my grandfather
built big house in what was then
the country, at the corner of Four
teenth street and Broadway.
| By the way, was great deal of a
wrestler at Harvard hut fhOuph aS
told you. never won championship;
but more than once I won my trial
heats and got into the final round.
was captain of my polo team at
one time, but since I left college
have taken most of my exercise in the
cow country or hunting gabe in the
mountains. This is egotistic; but you
asked for it.