Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-24
SCRAMBLE FOR BOXES
TO HOLD DEAD PESTS
Supply at the Several Stations Early
Exhausted, But More Coming.
DR.. MURRAY GIVES OUT TIPS
Pointers for Young Enthusiasts
Ambitious to Win One of Sub.
stantial Prizes Offered by
This Newspaper.

The great fight against the fly is on.
With enthusiasm that surpassed expecta-
tions Washington's Juvenile population
commenced its operations this morning
against the wary disease-spreading horde.
BY noon many thousands OF the pests
against which The Stars two-week cam
paign for fyless city is being waged
had been destroyed.
The campaign began with such a rush
that boxes for the delivery of the dead
insects gave out at FIVE of the six s,a-
tions of the Associated Charities where
they had been provided Rush orders
We're sent to the George P. Killian Man
ufacturing Company for more. Late this
afternoon the battle was progressing even
more relentlessly, and children were ap-
plying at the Associated Charities sta
tions by hundreds for additional boxes
Eagerly awaiting the moment set for
the general advance, children gathered at
the charities stations early. although the
hour set for the distribution of the boxes
was 10 O'Clock.
More Boxes Being Rushed.
When the stations were finally opened
the boxes disappeared as II by magic. At
one place the supply was exhaust
ed within twenty minutes. Mr.. Killian.
who donated the boxes and had the first
lot delivered Saturday afternoon. thought
he had made a sufficient calculation for
the first days demand. but he was
pressed for an emergency order from Ave
of the stations before the fight had been
under way half an hour. He immedi-
ately made arrangements for the manu-
facture of additional boxes which were
delivered this afternoon.
That flies have been slaughtered In
quantities since the announcement OF
The Stars prizes which are to be
awarded the most successful exter-
minators in the campaign was made evi-
dent this morning. Scarcely had the
boxes been received by the children than
they were turned back in again Thou
sands Of dead flies, the result of a pre-
liminary war on the insects, were
brought to the stations in paper bags,
boxes and other devices, and were quick
ly transferred to the boxes especially
made for the contest
This necessitated delivering the boxes
at the health department this afternoon.
where DR.. Murray of the department.
who is conducting the campaign. i'm
mediately put force to work ascer-
tanning the destruction of the pests to
date
It had been expected that the boxes
would be delivered this morning and
that comparatively few children would
enter the contest today. but the youth
full exterminators had planned differ
ently and showed that they are anxious
to enter the contest with an early
score
Transfer Company Busy.
=. H.. .hara x,,o,,la
have to be a delivery of flies to the
health department today the Mer-
chants Transfer and Storage Company
got into the fight and had its wagons
around to the six stations shortly
after noon. Within an hour the flies
were bang counted at the District
building.
In the District building the delivery
of the fly boxes produced great interest,"
while for a time IT demoralized tne "ork
of the health department officials ana
employees. Every one connected with the
department wanted to see the first patcn
of flies killed in washington's big fight
to exterminate the pests.
Record of Contestants.
The box covers had printed blank forms
for the names. ages and addresses OF con-
testants, and these were carefully hlled In
by the clll0Ten WHO eHtcicd lho NoheSSN
today. The name Of each contestant was
placed on a separate card, together with
the quantity Of flies turned in The guam
tity of the insects delivered was ascer-
tanned by gill measurements
Although DR.. Murray was assisted by
number of officials Of the department, the
ascertaining Of todays toll had not been
completed at late hour this afternoon
The results were much heavier than DR..
Murray had anticipated.
indications are that the health depart
ment will have a much heavier task to-
morrow, for the fight SO far has been but
a skirmish compared to what 1t Will be
| later.
In every section Of the city. in every
| corner and nook where fly could be
SUSPECTED of having hidden, the fight Is
progressing The fly that escapes must
elude thousands of pairs of watchful
| eyes.
Trapping, "swatting" and poisoning
methods are being resorted to. Every
minute increases the death toll OF the
nest With two weeks Of relentless war
ring of this kind the insects will diminish
until they have been demolished.
The children of the capital this morning
gave an unqualified verdict that the ny
must go.