The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-07-29
SOLDIERS LACK LITERATURE ON
 SOUTH BORDER
Magazines, Papers and Al manacs Eagerly Sought
 By U. S. Army Men.

The following letter from a Y. M. c. A. sergeant on the border, tells pathetic story. Citizens of Bridgeport who carelessly. throw away or pile up magazines can tighten the hearts of our soldiers in the South wonderfully by, gathering them together and send ing them to army men:
 From Brownsville to Fl Paso, Texas, a distance of some 500 miles, the Southern Pacific Railway extends ! like a thread of steel, the only line of communication along which the United States troops may travel in going from post to post along the border. At every bridge, culvert, tun- nel or hill, as you journey along this line, you will find little outposts com posed of anywhere from 10 to 20 men guarding the highway. Day in and day out. through heat and dust storm, these men stand their lonely vigil guarding the line that the mail and supplies may not be interrupted in their lons journeys to and fro. There are no towns; there are no friendly faces. There is nothing but l solitude, and still these men must stay.
 "As our train stopped at each point, they would rush to the end of the ob- servation car and beg for magazines, | pictures, post cards or anything that we had to relieve the mbnotny of | their daily round of duty. On every possible occasion got off the train and talked to the men, and the stories they told me in a few terse sentences were enough to break onefs heart. l found one fellow reading an almanac and said, '1s that all you have in this camp?" He said, "Yes, and. every man, here got it before I did. I'm the last one on the Hst.'
 | Down in the Big Bend country l (that great area which lies south of ] the Southern Pacific line and north of the Rio Grande3, there are nine or ten stations not less than 60 miles away from the railroad. The only communication is by motor truck train, and at these points the men feel most keenly the solitude and monot- ony.
 Here it is that we ought to send our magazines or Eames-the things that will cheer the fellows up and make them feel that the world has not forgotten them. Some of them have not received mail for weeks; , some have not been able to communi- cate with the folks at home. They ride the long patrols at night; they must rest during the day. There is a constant danger of their being fired upon by snfpers. There are the raid- CTS against whom they must watch; always something to keep them at a tension; always something to rack the nerves and strain the mind.
 I've sent some supplies down the line of communication to General Per- shings camp at .Casas Grandes. The appreciation of the men was pathetic They ran for the magazines like chil- dren who were receiving toys at a Christmas tree. Later, a truck-driver on return trip from that country reported to me that he knows that some of the magazines we had taken down there and distributed were be- ing sold and re-sold at 50 cents each again and again; that many of them had not much left but the story part the backs and advertising having all been worn of with so much handling. Tobacco sells at a dollar a pack in that forsaken country, and know ot one instance where one cigarette was divided among six men. it being the last the squad possessed.
 T know of men who were obliged because of the country they were in and because of the perils, to go with out undressing for 12 days. They had no bath, they could not shave. There was only water enough for the barest necessities of cooking and drinking, and still they went on without com plaining.
 These are the fellows who are try ing to serve. These are the men we are trying to cheer and help. Suitable magazines and papers can