Evening star., 1912-07-17
ALL BOOST SCORES
Fly SWatters Diminish Insect
Family in District.
BIG RECORD MADE IN JULY
Nearly Six and Half Million In
sects Destroyed to Date.
STANDING OF THE LEADERS
Fitzgerald at the Head, With Bur
dette Second-Competition Lively.
Work Systematized.

Nearly six and a half million flies have
been destroyed in The Stars July cam
paign against the insects. The total num-
ber is q. 469, 300
Lawrence Fitzgerald yesterday increas-
ed his lead over the other contestants,
and now occupies first place with a mar
gin of Isl 500 points. William Steiner
also considerably increased his score yes
in the one million class.
Three of the participants, Fitzgerald,
Steiner and Layton H. Burdette, have
more than a million slaughtered flies
each to their credit. while the former is
less than 100000 points behind the two
million mark.
The Virginia Avenue Playground de-
livered more than 1900 insects yester-
day, while Lillian Portion, who is In sixth
place, added 4S,CO0 points to her score.
Scores of the Leaders.
The six leaders have the following
scores: Lawrence Fitzgerald 1,s22, $40;
Layton H. Burdette. 1,641, 900, William
Steiner 1,Ool. .2U; J. Mark Trice, ISL, 200;
Walter Thought, 1856, 400, and Lillian Por-
ton. 372, 200.
The fight for first place in The Stars
campaign against the fly for this month
is the most strenuous on record. Fitz-
gerald and the Industrial Home School
Anti-Fly Club are each averaging close
to 2U0.UO0 dead insects daily and are con-
tinually switching about in first and sec
ond places. Although both are bringing
in great numbers at times, there Is a
difference of only few thousand in their
scores On the other hand, IL one gets a
lead of several hundred thousand he finds
his opponent coming back at him the next
day with a record-breaking delivery and
taking the lead away.
These two contestants in particular
have made a study of fly killing more
than have others and have their various
systems and dope from which they
never vary. One point on while they dis
agree is on what is the bait which will
attract the greatest number of the pests.
Fitzgerald tried various kinds of food
and after tabulating the work of each of
his traps came to the conclusion that
chicken meat Is the most attractive food
for flies. Layton II. Burdette, president
OF the Industrial Home School club, tried
fish heads above all else as the best
bait. Fitzgerald admits fish is good but
not as good as chicken.
Basis of Belief.
Fitzgerald also has tried various kinds
OF markets. and finds that the yards
In which chickens are killed harbor more
flies than any other place. Fitzgerald
continues to work alone and uses the
traps exclusively. Until recently his
greatest opponent. Burdette, used swat
ters" only. Although Burdette had many
assistants, numbering at times almost 1UO,
he found he was losing ground and to
keep in the race with Fitzgerald was
forced TO Use some trans.
Burdette and Fitzgerald. of course. are
both working hard to win the first prize
for this month. but their real goal is the
first prize of 500, which will be award
ed in September. The September prize
winners will be the children who have
killed the most flies all during the sum-
mer. The second prize this month also is
large, being $50.
Both boys have planned already what
to do with the money. Burdette will give
an entertainment for his assistants. He
probably will give them an outing to one
of the resorts in the vicinity Of Wash
ington. Fitzgerald will take much
needed vacation and will bank the rest
of his money.