The collection is comprised mostly of correspondence with newspaper clippings, typescripts of Hale’s writings, and a few photographs. The papers are arranged alphabetically by topic and range in date from 1896 to 1927. The correspondence has several gaps between 1896 and 1926, with the largest between 1905 and 1913.

There is not a large amount of correspondence in the papers, but the letters reveal bits of information about several facets of Hale’s life. In the earliest letter on 29 May 1896, Hale’s father inquires about the welfare of his son’s family after a deadly tornado hit St. Louis. Mr. Hale read accounts of the destruction in the London newspapers. There are also a few letters from other friends and family members including Hale’s brother, Henry (Harry) Hale of North Dakota (f.6); his cousin, John Thompson of London (f.3); his niece, Celia Payne of Surrey (f.8); and his nephew, Alfred H. Hale of England (f.8). Hale’s military friends also wrote to him through the years, sharing information about mutual friends and reminiscing. Lt. Col. Charles L. Hodges wrote in January 1904 from Panang; Ira Quinby wrote in November 1904 from Morris, New York, where he retired; and J. M. Robb wrote in February 1915 from Buffalo Gap, South Dakota.

World War I was a significant event in Philip Hale’s life. He first donated to The Prince of Wales National Relief Fund in 1914. In the July 1917 issue of the National Farmer & Stock Grower, Hale wrote an article entitled, Why We Are at War. Hale also wrote poetry in support of the war effort. He published Disloyalty in the summer of 1917 and later published The Ballad of Company X. He received several letters of praise about his article and poetry from Colin M. Delph, Postmaster of the United States Post Office; from Edward Sisson of the Committee on Public Information; from the Italian Ambassador; and from the Minister of Portugal. In January 1919, W. C. Morris, well-known WWI cartoonist, granted Hale permission to republish one of his cartoons with Hale’s poem, The Butcher of Berlin.

Hale’s publishing position within the agriculture industry also led him to be involved with the Secretary of Agriculture and with the Food Administration. As war time policies relating to agriculture evolved, Hale wrote about such policies in his publication, he corresponded with policy makers, and he was invited to attend national meetings. On 15 August 1917, Herbert Hoover invited him to a confidential meeting concerning farmers’ understanding of price determinations in war time (f.4).

In 1926, Hale’s correspondence covered three aspects of his life: land transactions in Texas, changes in his former agricultural publications, and music publishing and compositions. On 26 April 1926, Lt. Samuel Fairfield, Assistant Musical Director of the Royal Naval School of Music, wrote to Hale for assistance in promoting his latest published composition and recalled performing one of Hale’s scores.

There are four typescript articles by Hale in the papers: Waco to Phantom Hill, Statement (at age 75, “to be remodeled”), The Fanatic, and The Frontier 1870 to 1880: How Ponies were taken from Indians and Returned to them as Cattle / When You Could Drive Cattle from Texas to Montana without Crossing a Fence Line. In 1924, Hale submitted Waco to Phantom Hill to the editor of Country Gentleman magazine and included a letter providing details about his military life.

The remainder of the papers include accounts relating to land in Texas and music publishing, forms relating to copyright in the U.S. and in England, and Hale’s invitation to the 1904 World’s Fair dedication in 1903 (f.9). The newspaper clippings relate to agricultural issues, general national and international news, music, poems, and witty stories. There are two photographs of Hale and three unidentified photographs. One of the photos shows an older gentleman in military uniform who may be Hale’s brother, Major Matthew H. Hale of England.