Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-09
RECORDS IN FLY WAR
Two Established Yesterday in
District Campaign.
WORKERS. SCORE Is BIG
Total Of $4,000 Exterminated
Germ Carriers Reported.
FITZGERALD WELL IN LEAD
Makes $4,000 Points on Nearest
Competitor in July Contest.
Girl Slayers Active.
FITZGERALD WELL IN LEAD

| Two new RECORDS were hung up IN Inc
Stars anti-fly war yesterday. More thar
three-quarters of a million insects were
turned in at the campaign headquarters
| in the municipal building. while Lawrence
Fitzgerald, alone. delivered approximately
a third of this number.
| The contestants brought in total OF
$4,000 exterminated germ carriers, ex
ceeding the record of the best previous
day by about 100000 points. Lawrence
Fitzgerald, by turning in 100000 flies
gains the distinction of having captured
more insects in single day than any con-
testant since the crusade began. Former
ly this distinction belonged to Layton n
Burdette. who in the June campaign de-
livered in one day about 224, 600 flies.
With two-thirds of the campaign yet
to be waged, the total slaughter of flies
to date is 2,3O4,4OO. At the present rate
the months activities will result in the
determination of 100000 Of the insects,
but DR.. Murray, supervisor of the cam
paign, believes that at least 1OOOo.OOO OF
the dread disease spreaders will have
been wiped out of existence by August l.
Surprise of July Campaign.
The big surprise of the July campaign
is the remarkable record being estab-
lished by Lawrence Fitzgerald. This
contestant, unaided, is spreading ruin
among the enemy to a greater extent
than whole armies of youthful swat
ters' He is relying exclusively on the
use of traps.
The keenest competition in the May and
June contests was between Fitzgerald
and Layton H. Burdette, the latter Win
ming first prize both months. Burdette
aliu E1fZ-
geralds showing for the day was about
1890 points better, which, added to his
previous score, gives him a lead over
Burdette of 236. 200
Yesterdays deliveries were the follow
ing: Lawrence Fitzgerald, 26O,SOO; Lay
ton II. Burdette, 217, 900; j. Mark Irlce
1874, 400; Charles Watts, $4,000; Annie Lis
ton. 5000; Walter Thought, SO, go; Lii
liam Portion, $500, and Francis Corby'
200.
Standing of Contestants.
The relative standing Of the contestants
ana their scores to datefre the following:
Lawrence Fitzgerald, 10000; Layton H.
Burdette. 52S, 800; ]. Mark Trice, 2sS,SOO;
Walter Thought, 10000; William Steiner.
Isl, 600; Lillian Portion, 1884, 200; Francis
Corby, $4,000: Charles Watts, $1,000; An
ME Liston, IS, 400: Michael Thomas, 2S,SUo;
Benjamin Abbott, 1O,4OU. Lena Goldman,
500, and John Biglow. Co.,
Charles Watts of Anacostia made his
first appearance in the contest yester-
day. delivering $4,000 flies and going into
eighth place.
There are three girls in the campaign
holding sixth, ninth and twelfth posi-
tions. Lillian Portion, with the score OF
13sS, 200. is the leader of the female con-
tingent.
]. Mark Trice, by delivering 134, 400 in
scots illmpad from sixth third ola ce
Several changes in the standing of the
contestants occurred yesterday. The
campaign is on in earnest, and DIR. Muir
ray expects it to be the most closely con-
tested of any yet held.
Activity in Good Hope.
Lillian Portion and her sister Sophie.
active participants in the campaign
against the fly being conducted by The
Star, are killing and trapping flies in
such great quantities near their home at
Good Hope D. c., that they have con-
verted their attractive cart into fly de-
livery wagon.
Though not the first girl to enter the
campaign, Lillian is the first to organize
a band of girls to fight the fly. Her
Yates in the army of killers are several
girls living in the neighborhood of the
Portion home. The girls have three traps,
taking turns in batting and cleaning
them, and each is armed with a SWatter.
Good Hope is located in the Anacostia
district of the campaign, and with the
exception of Ralph Lucas the girls have
no competition for that district prize.
Lucas captured the district prize last
month and both he and the girls are
working hard in the campaign for July.
The war on the fly is Of much interest
not only to the children actually en-
gagged in Kidding the city of the pests, but
it is learned that many of the men and
women Of the city have tried various
experiments to prevent the flies invading
homes.
Ammonia as Exterm;nator.
1t was found the other night in one
household that hundreds of flies can be
asphyxiated in short order by the fumes
of strong household ammonia. Early
in the evening, when hundreds of flies
had retired for the night, a glass of am
monia was placed directly under them
and Immediately the pests took the death
drop into the glass.
This method Of killing the flies took
only a few minutes, and the equipment
was simple. A chair to stand on to reach
the flies and the glass of ammonia was
all that was necessary. Few flies are
now seen in this house, and the next
army Of invaders will be greeted with the
same medicine.
Prof. Hodge of Clarke University who
has given much study to the fly, has the
following to say about the pest:
1.-The house fly causes 100000 deaths a
year and does a property damage of
$12, 100000. The fly travels only 800 feet
and delights in a liquid diet. When he
finds something he likes better than his
latest meal he disgorges. One pair of
flies beginning in May will breed La. 675
bushels by September. The time will
come when it will be Considered more dis
graceful to have flies in our homes than