The border vidette., 1918-04-06
JOE HALSTEAD IN FRANCE.
Popular Nogales Boy CheerfuIIy Doing
 His Bit for Uncle Sam.

The following from a letter
 written by Sergeant J. Russell
 Halstead, of the J. D. Halstead
 Lumber Company of Nogales,
 and other places in Arizona, to
 his father, J. D. Halstead Of
 Phoenix, will be interesting to a
 host of Joe's friends, here and
 throughout the state:
 It has been two months at i least since you received my last | letter.
 "Things have been going along so fast the past two months that there has been no way to write, so you are receiving this letter just as soon as it was possible to get it to you. You are in a much better shape than I, as have not heard from anyone since leaving the states. When you are over here, you get no news at all except the mail from over there. So I wish you would all "whip up," and write more often and be sure and tell me the news. You know there is but little that can tell you on account of the Censorship, but the letters from the States com ing into here, are not censored, so you can tell me all the news.
 Gould write you a very in teresting letter if I was permit ted to do so, but anyway I am storing it all up, and will have NIn IVY fn a I
 We had a very nice trip across. Only had few rough days, and as I never get sea sick, it didn't bother me at all. I had a very nice stateroom and the eats were very good, so things were fine.
 We stopped in the city where we landed for five days. The troops were quarterd in an old barracks built about one hun dred and fifty years ago. Had a high stone wall all around then, so that the fellows were just like being in prison. I was out every day looking after our bar racks bags and other supplies that we shipped over with us, so had nice time, as l would get at least three hours to my self each day. The only trouble was that l had no one with me and couldn't talk to anyone as they spoke nothing but French, but I took a good look and let it go at that.
 After leaving there, we got the hard part of the trip. Game across country on the train in third class compartment cars packed with eight men in each | compartment which was about | five by seven. We were four days and nights like that and it wasn't very warm without any fire. You might think that we went a long distance by the length of time that it took, but | just remember that the train | service over here is not what it | is in the States.
 We landed in a small vallage | and opened up our office. l be- l gan running around then and | since that time have driven over two thousand miles. So you see I have been on the go some. | Our office moved from the town | into our present location one l week ago and we are fixed up fine. Have a store building rent | ed about the center of town | where we have our office and | are eating at the best mess I have eaten at since coming into the Army.
 We are in a town of about | one hundred thousand, so there is something to see when we | have the time to look around. 1 haven't had much time SO far | as I am working about as long hours as I did while in the | States. I hope it keeps up this way, as the time passes faster when there is plenty to do. I have taken a number of good | pictures but cannot send any of | them to the States. Will have to wait and bring them back with me.
 This is sure a pretty country and the finest roads that you could imagine. Just like Cali fornia everywhere. You run into a small village about every three or four miles and there seems to be no speed limit, so you can r1o aS fact aS u0n oarn tn opo |