European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 10, 1948, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Bearded seventy nine year old James George Nicklen jr., with fellow classmates studies chemistry under Twenty nine year old or. Arthur furst. Conscientious student. Nicklen is described by instructors As Apt Pupil eager to learn easy to teach. He attends athletic events and College proms. College boy photographs by w1llards Hatch in at 79 years of age James Nicklen Mav be America s oldest student " a new Pupil at san Francisco Junior College would probably sit next to an eighteen or Nineteen year old youngster or then again he might sit next to James George Nicklen Junior. In that Case Likely As not he would soon find Young Nicklen s Beard swinging in the Way of his Pencil. Student James George Nicklen Junior is seventy nine years old. Nicklen who was born november .15, 1868, in Reading England says he was always adventure minded thinks that s Why he left his native country in 1920. Now he confesses he finds a fresh adventure in studying Anatomy and chemistry he has a special reason for going to school he says but it is a deep secret. Since coming to san Francisco Twenty eight years ago he has worked As a plumber and Seaman eventually grew tired of both. Last fall he began to feel it was time he had a Little College education. Nicklen who is just As much a Paft of College social life As he is of the academic believes he is the oldest College student in the United states unless someone else claims the ,title." in spite of his age he is As willing and eager As any boy to accept a helping hand in a ticklish problem from one. Of his classmates in spite of the fact that most of the other students Are almost sixty years his. Junior. Setbacks in the Rio Grande Laredo. Texas never ending game of hid and seek is played in this Brush tangled Section of the United states mexican Border. The hiders of bedraggled Menand women workers from mex Ico eager for higher paying Jobson farms and factories North of the  seekers Are Broad hatted trim uniformed inspectors of the United states Border patrol a Branch of the immigration  base line of the game in Texas is the Rio Grande fam Driver which constitutes a winding Borde r for More than 1000 mile Between Elpaso and Brownsville. Some of the hiders swim or Wade the shallow Muddy Stream. Hence All illegal mexican immigrants recalled  logs and Wash tubs pushed by swimmers have been used to Cross the Rio Grande. Others hire mexican Boatmen to ferry them Over. Some Cross the International Bridges on visitors permits an fail to go Back. One Mother used rubber swim fins to ferry her two babes across. Now the Border patrol have the fins As a trophy. The Odds Are against the hiders. Patrolmen have the advantage of training organization modern equipment and experience. Being caught Means immediate return " to Mexico and second offenders Are jailed since unauthorized entry is a felony. But the game is pretty Good natured on both sides. We Are ordered to shoot on Yin self defense said keen eyed Elmer Debrail chief patrol in Spector Here. The last shooting episode in la redo occurred More than ten years ago. But More than thirty Borde patrolmen have lost their lives along the Long stretch fro Brownsville to san Diego Cali fornia. The service was set up inthe mid twenties and lives were largely lost during the prohibition Days when gangsters playing for High stakes were willing Torisk All. The setbacks Are mostly peaceable hard working people Fletcher rails chief of the patrol office in Mcallen Texas says. Much of the land on both  the lower Rio Grande is a snarled Thicket of Mesquite Trees five feet High Cactus and thorny underbrush. Trailing setback through this nearly impassable. Territory the eighty six inspectors under Debrail use radio equipped automobiles jeeps and horses Small air plane stationed at the Mcallen Headquarters is also used. Working the tangled Brush patrolmen keep in Contact Withjack other by Means of the Walkie talkie. An old Frontier method is called cutting  when the sign of a setback is found in the Brush the patrolmen Speed ahead to the first crossroad. If tracks Are found or Cut there the process is repeated. When no Evi Dence of a crossing is discovered patrolmen return to the last tracks found and follow them into the scraggly Brush on  sometimes Chase men seventy five to one Hundred mile through the Brush Debrail said. We often find them asleep under  away from the River the Chase is carried out by inspectors who Check trains Railroad Yards High ways and cheap hotels. And Stool pigeons naturally fit into the Pic Ture. Most of the mexicans who succeed in their crossing get work on the Citrus and vegetable farm which have been carved out of the Brush land and produce richly with modern irrigation methods. However setbacks also go far into the Interior to take jobs As seasonal farm hands. Three years ago a Borde patrolman checking highways at Refugio Texas noticed that holes had been bored into a Large refrigerator truck which the drive said contained Lemons. Sniffling at one of the holes the patrolman got the sweaty odor of humans. There were 59 mexican aliens in Side. The Driver when questioned told about two other truckload which had gotten through. Later. Seventy nine More setbacks were rounded up on Tomato farms in Illinois. The Drivers were convicted of harbouring and concealing aliens. Others smuggled in have been found in the tanks of Gaso line trucks and in the water tend ers of rail locomotives. Rookies who aspire to Wear the smart Forest Green uniform of the Border patrol go through a stiff course in Basic training. For three months they attend school at Elpaso studying Spanish Laws and regulations  their work radio code and handling of fire arms. Base pay is $2300 a  a year of probationary employment during which time they must continue their studies and pass periodic examinations the base pay goes up to $2600. The Laredo office Headquarters for a Large District on the River and extending Inland Aswell is housed in an old Spanish style Brick building on the out skirts of town. The whitewashed building formerly a mansion to Gether with the outbuildings on the property serve As offices Ware House and workshops. A powerful shortwave radio station keep Contact with other Headquarters in the service s National  District s 43 automobiles and radio sets Are repaired on thespot patrolmen reload their own Rifle and revolver cartridges to save Money. Setbacks when caught have to pay their own fare Back to Mexico if they have it. Debrail said the  used to Deport them had paid for itself in eighteen months and earned enough to buy a new  there is no. Limit to the number of mexicans who May immigrate into the country would be citizens however must have birth and Good conduct certificates from their Home to wins and have an american Consul give them entry permits. Harvey Scandrett at Publ and every week to Pfuno Taft. Hat Germany  o. Occupation Foix under to e Auk Cea of troop into Mason and education service. Edc Oal. U. S. Amy. Apo in. Volume in. Number ii. ?�." a 9l,--_t�,,it be reproduced or u ape Cuic prior penal Hon Haf be a Irand by the editor and a the material it not Retti lewd or jaw or military regulation Nuu crypt. Photographs or material of any re Nib matted to. A skim Attr Ujj eur 1Tii _ , a i note Topeka anal return port. In Jocko cannot axum  for the return at Uewl fitted Contr Butl is. Subir Puon a i in . Curtly onto. 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